Australia: Three arrested after 415 kg of drugs seized by Sydney police
Sydney, Oct 15
Sydney police have arrested three men after seizing over 400 kg of drugs, as well as firearms and cash, during an investigation into a transnational organised crime network.
Police in the state of New South Wales (NSW) said in a statement on Wednesday that a strike force established to investigate the supply of drugs coordinated by a transnational network believed to be run out of Southeast Asia executed five search warrants at properties in western Sydney on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported.
During the searches, officers located and seized 415 kg of prohibited drugs, three pistols, more than 300 rounds of ammunition and 450,000 Australian dollars (293,135 US dollars) in cash.
Two 26-year-old males and a 19-year-old were arrested. All three were charged with supplying prohibited drugs in large commercial quantities, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
NSW Police said that the seized drugs included 287 kg of methamphetamine, 81 kg of heroin, 47 kg of cocaine and 838 grams of MDMA with a combined street value of 260 million Australian dollars (170 million US dollars).
An additional 20 kg of precursor chemicals was also seized.
Earlier in September, police in the southeast Australian state of Victoria said they had charged two men after locating 40 kilograms of cocaine in a vehicle.
A Victoria Police statement said that the vehicle was intercepted by officers around 6:20 a.m. local time on Tuesday in Melbourne's outer north as it was being driven back from the border with the neighbouring state of New South Wales.
A subsequent search of the vehicle located 40 kilograms of a substance believed to be cocaine, with an estimated street value of 14 million Australian dollars (9.3 million US dollars).
The two occupants of the car, men aged 19 and 20 from Melbourne's southeast suburbs, were arrested and both charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of cocaine and possessing a large commercial quantity of cocaine.
If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Victoria Police said that it will be alleged in court that the two men were utilising vehicles to transport drugs interstate on behalf of a wider criminal syndicate.
Detective Inspector Jamie Walker from the Major Drug Squad said that the syndicate would take a "massive monetary hit" as a result of the cocaine seizure.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The scale of this operation is mind-boggling - 260 million AUD worth of drugs! This shows how organized these international networks are. Hope Indian agencies are also keeping such close watch on drug trafficking routes.
While I appreciate the police action, I wonder if we're only catching the small fish. The real masterminds operating from Southeast Asia are probably still free. Need more international cooperation to tackle this menace.
The fact that they had firearms and ammunition too shows how dangerous these networks are. This isn't just about drugs - it's about organized crime that threatens public safety everywhere. 👮â€â™‚ï¸
So young - 19 and 26 years old. What a waste of youth getting involved in such activities. Parents must be heartbroken. This is why we need better career opportunities and drug awareness programs for young people.
The international nature of this crime is concerning. Southeast Asia to Australia, and now we see interstate transport within Australia. This is a global problem that needs coordinated global response.
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