SYDNEY: Australian police have arrested four men after 662kg of methamphetamine was found hidden inside a shipment of toilet paper rolls, reported German news agency (dpa).
Australian Border Force police said on Thursday that the shipment arrived in Melbourne via sea cargo from Malaysia on Oct 4.
Officers identified “anomalies” during an X-ray at the border, police said in a statement.
Officers found 622 green and gold tea packages, each weighing one kilogramme, which were further concealed within a pallet of toilet paper.
The drugs seized have a street value estimated at almost AU$560 million (US$359 million), police said.
Two 33-year-old Chinese nationals, a Malaysian national, 34, and a Hong Kong national, 32, were arrested overnight Wednesday.
Police said two of the men were arrested as they separately attempted to board flights to leave Australia.
The men were all charged with one count of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drugs. The offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Victoria Police Detective Acting Superintendent Dan Ryan said police remained focused on stopping illicit drugs from ending up in the community.
“The use of methamphetamine per capita in Australia is matched by no other nation in the world, and the devastating and tragic damage caused by its use ripples throughout the community,“ Ryan said.
“The harm this drug inflicts on the community has the potential to have significant and life-changing impacts on a range of innocent parties.” – Bernama
