TWO men have been charged with attempting to import methamphetamine from a global criminal syndicate that has attempted to traffic almost $1.7 billion worth of the drug to Australia over several months.
A further four men, who allegedly tried to buy the illicit drugs in Australia, have also been charged.
The Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police Victorian Joint Organised Crime Taskforce (JOCTF), working with Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group partners, has prevented more than 6 tonnes of liquid crystal methamphetamine from arriving in Australia in four separate ventures.
Police say the methamphetamine was solely for the Australian market and destined for Victoria and New South Wales.
Under Operation Parkes, the AFP and Victoria Police executed eight search warrants across Melbourne’s CBD and western suburbs on 14 June.
The Australian Border Force, the Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission also supported the five-month investigation.
A man, 38, from Melbourne’s CBD, who recently returned from overseas is charged with attempting to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs and attempting to possess a commercial quantity of unlawfully imported border-controlled drugs.
Police will allege the man acted as a conduit for an organised crime network in Canada and is the primary onshore facilitator for the transport and movement of one attempted methamphetamine import to Australia.
A “professional facilitator”
Another man, 32, from Melbourne’s CBD is charged with attempting to import a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drugs, attempting to possess a commercial quantity of unlawfully imported border-controlled drugs and trafficking a drug of dependence.
Police will allege the man is a “professional facilitator”, and used his position in a logistics business to transport the substituted methamphetamine when it arrived in Australia.
Both men are facing a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
A Sunshine North man, 28, a US national, 26, and a St Albans man, 19, have each been charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of unlawfully imported border-controlled drugs.
It is expected that further charges will be laid against these three men. Police executed search warrants at their homes and a storage unit in Sunshine, which the three men allegedly used to store the illicit drugs. During the warrants, police allegedly uncovered a clandestine lab at the Sunshine North home along with a quantity of other drugs.
Another Melbourne CBD man, 51, is to be charged with possession and trafficking of a marketable quantity of border-controlled drugs, possession of a controlled drug, dealing with proceeds of crime and failing to comply with a court order.
Further arrests in Australia are expected.
The smuggling operation
In January 2023, Canadian authorities alerted the AFP that 2900 litres of liquid methamphetamine were contained in 180 bottles of canola oil and destined for Australia. It had an estimated street value of $720 million. The two men are charged for this import.
It will be alleged that once the consignment arrived in March 2023, the two men were involved in moving it to storage locations across Melbourne.
It is further alleged that during the investigation, new people of interest were identified when 120 canola oil bottles were moved across Victoria.
The three men, aged 28, 26 and 19, are alleged to have been operating a clandestine laboratory in Melbourne where a large quantity of cocaine, methamphetamine and equipment used to manufacture drugs was located, along with a large quantity of cash and two imitation firearms.
In May, Canadian authorities seized about 325 litres of liquid methamphetamine that was concealed within canola oil and destined for Australia. It had an estimated street value of $81 million.
In June, Canadian authorities seized about 2900 litres of liquid methamphetamine that was concealed within canola oil and destined for Australia. It had an estimated street value of $717 million.
The global crime syndicate is also linked to an attempt to traffic 200 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine to Australia in December 2022. The drugs were seized by Canadian authorities.
In January 2023, New Zealand Police seized 713 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and charged six people. The AFP suspects those drugs were sourced from the same organised crime group that is trafficking methamphetamine to Australia.
A national security threat
AFP Assistant Commissioner Hilda Sirec said all of the imports bound for Australia had been substituted with harmless substances to give authorities time to identify alleged Australian offenders and their connection to overseas criminal syndicates.
“Transnational serious organised crime groups are a national security threat. They undermine the Australian economy, social security system and financial system,’’ she said.
“The AFP has members based in 33 countries, and our offshore partnerships, operations and disruptions, are a key strategy in diverting crime, including illicit drugs from Australia.”
Assistant Commissioner Sirec said the AFP is among the frontline defence of Australia.
“Equally, helping to prevent illicit drugs from coming into Australia is critical because it deprives organised crime from profiting and bankrolling other serious offences, including child exploitation, sexual servitude and human trafficking,” she said.
“And while organised crime and drug trafficking are not new, what is emerging, is the trafficking of illicit drugs in state war craft.
“In parts of the world, some state actors appear to be working with organised crime to distribute illicit drugs to regions in a bid to undermine societies and democracy. This challenges our rules-based order and the rule of law at levels never before seen.”
At the border
ABF Acting Assistant Commissioner Chris Holzheimer said the ongoing dedication and expertise of officers at the border ensured illicit substances do not enter the Australian community.
“The audacity that many criminal actors show when they’re attempting to import illicit substances into Australia is astounding, and this is yet another example of that,” Acting Assistant Commissioner Holzheimer said.
“This operation proves yet again that when we work alongside our law enforcement partners, criminals don’t stand a chance and can expect to be brought to justice. The Australian border is one of our most critical national assets and criminals should know that we will relentlessly protect it to their utmost detriment.”
Canada Border Services Agency Regional Director General, Pacific Region, Nina Patel said Canada Border Services Agency officers in British Columbia seized more than 6330 kilograms of methamphetamine over six months, all destined for Australia.
“One seizure alone was the largest methamphetamine seizure in the CBSA’s history at almost 3000 kilograms,” she said.
“We are proud to have worked alongside the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Border Force and our partners at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to combat organised crime and protect our communities.”
