AN AIR freight consignment containing 700 litres (288 kilograms) of meth concealed in cans of coconut milk has seen a Sydney man sentenced to six years in jail.
The 86 boxes of coconut milk cans, sent from Thailand, contained an estimated $241 million worth of liquid methamphetamine. They were imported into Sydney in August 2020.
The 22-year-old man was arrested as part of a joint investigation between the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Border Force.
AFP officers conducted a controlled delivery of the consignment to a warehouse in Girraween, Sydney, in September 2020. The man was arrested after accepting the delivery.
ABF aviation goods NSW superintendent Mal Nimmo said ABF officers find drug shipments no matter where they are from or how they are concealed.
“We work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to shut down criminal syndicates attempting to smuggle drugs into Australia and will stop at nothing to prevent illicit substances from reaching our community.”
AFP detective acting inspector Carly Smith said disrupting the activities of people attempting to import illicit substances ensures the drugs never reach the streets.
“This operation should send a strong warning to criminals that if you participate in illegal activities, the AFP will catch, arrest and prosecute you.”
The man faced the NSW District Court on Friday 5 August, where he pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting an attempt to possess a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border-controlled drug.
He was sentenced to six years imprisonment with a non-parole period of three years.
