Australian authorities say they have seized the
nation's largest-ever haul of methamphetamine, an illicit drug known locally as
ice.
The drugs, with an estimated street value of A$1.2bn
(£660m; $840m), were found hidden inside stereo speakers in a shipment at a
Melbourne port.
The consignment had come from Thailand, police said.
No arrests have been made.
Ice has been described as the most common and
damaging illegal drug in Australia.
Authorities said the 1.6 tonne bust was equal to
more than 13% of all drugs seized in the state of Victoria last year.
It was detected after the Australian Border Force
(ABF) used an X-ray to reveal "anomalies" in the cargo shipment
following its arrival from Bangkok.
Police said about 37kg of heroin was also discovered
in vacuum-sealed bags inside the speakers.
ABF regional commander Craig Palmer said it was
"the largest meth bust we've ever seen in this country" and showed
the "brazen nature of those involved in this criminal activity".
The Australian Federal Police said the
"insidious" drugs would have devastated communities, adding that they
were resolved to stop illegal imports.
Australia's 'ice' problem
The powerful drug - which can be smoked, snorted or
injected - became the focus of a national taskforce in 2015 to tackle its
growing use.
Australia 'crystal meth' clampdown
The move followed a report by the Australian Crime
Commission (ACC) that found crystal meth posed the highest risk to communities
of any illegal substance.
Victoria - Australia's second-most populous state -
consumes more than two tonnes of crystal meth every year, according to
government figures.
The ACC says the price of crystal meth in Australia
is among the highest in the world, driving the country's organised crime gangs
to trade increasingly in the drug.
In February, police arrested six people in Victoria
and New South Wales after a huge stash of the drug was intercepted in the US.
Product of the sinaloenses, rat tweekers.. guaranteed someone gonna rat..
ReplyDeleteAnd you know this how? So much assuming comes from the comment section
DeleteSomebody's gonna be in trouble, best go live in a cave like a hermit or let the police get you, lest the corporation finds and liquidates the lame ass who got busted.
ReplyDeleteThere was another bust not long ago and im pretty sure it was in speakers for that 1 also...triads gotta change it up- and why put all that h with it???? This 1 gonna hurt someone
ReplyDeleteI remember it getting busted in a Mexico airport, waiting to go to Australia.
DeleteI was just in Thailand, I wonder whether the meth was sourced from there or just a transit. I would hate to see meth destroy Thai people, I hope they continue to be very strict.
ReplyDeleteWhat? Jaba has been there for decades. 30 years or so. Loong before Mexico.
DeleteThailand has a meth epidemic already ☹️
DeleteThey call it yaba. Super sad cause the Thai people are amazing.
But that’s why I’m always saying on here drugs aren’t an American issue, they are a human issue. Always have been, always will be.
Phelpso
The thais have been on "yaba" probably longer than anyone.. meth has and always will be huge in the asian community
Delete10:01 thais have a large market share of the pederasta tourism, and even export some of it.
Delete--Americans are among their most important consumers.
Australia is getting flooded with meth, you have Chinese, cds , cjng and now Thailand (most likely Chinese) all shipping huge quantities over out there
ReplyDeleteThis is biker activity
ReplyDeleteComing from Melbourne , Victoria . This bust has made very happy .Not since the 90's Heroin epidemic , where overnight approx 7 open air drug markets were formed . Today only 1 still exists in inner city suburb of Richmond . Comparing the 2 drug epidemics . ICE by far , is way worse . Everyone in this city will know someone already brain dead or on there way to having fried brains . As a much larger cross section of social classes are using this GUTTER DRUG . We are a perfect market for any Mafia , to sell us your poison
ReplyDeleteThe thing with Meth is that you don’t need a lot of turn around time to produce more product. As long as you have the pre cursor chemicals, you can make more. It’s not like with Coke or Weed that you have to grow a plant.
ReplyDeleteThese massive $1 billion seizures are crazy and craizer thing is that 1-2 of these shipments most likely are actually making it to their destinations to sit in safe houses until they are sold off.
ReplyDeleteThese governments just need to regulate the drug trade but the sitgma with use is just so servely looked down upon it won't happen.
If it did tho it would be the best situation to allow users an specific amount of drugs per month or whatever to keep track of users and the amount they consume.