A SOUTH-WEST Sydney man has been charged for alleged involvement in a plot to import $828 million worth of methamphetamine.

The consignment involved the attempted importation of 900 kilograms of the drug into Sydney from the United States, hidden inside industrial machinery.

The 31-year old man appeared in Downing Centre Local Court yesterday (1 August), following his arrest on Wednesday (31 July). He is remanded in custody and due to face court again in October this year.

The Australian Border Force stated in the announcement today (2 August) that the Australian Federal Police started Operation Alstonville last month.

The ABF stated the operation began following an anonymous tipoff to Crime Stoppers and intelligence received from the United States’ Homeland Security Investigations relating to large drug shipments being sent to a Sydney-based furniture store.

On 22 July 2024 ABF officers examined a shipping container in Port Botany which contained two separate computer numerical control machines, after which a powdered substance was identified and tested positive to meth.

An estimated 896kg of meth was hidden inside packages in both machines. The drugs were then removed and the consignment was delivered to its intended address in Warwick Farm on 31 July, 2024.

Police will allege two men examined and opened the container and, with the assistance of a forklift, began to handle the contents inside.

Both men were subsequently arrested, and the AFP executed search warrants on the Warwick Farm property, a home in Minto and a vehicle. One of the men was later released pending further inquiries.

A Winston Hills man was charged with one count of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border-controlled drug, namely methamphetamine.

The maximum penalty for this offence is life imprisonment. Investigations are ongoing and further arrests are anticipated.

AFP detective superintendent Peter Fogarty the meth could have been sold as 8.9 million individual street deals.

ABF Acting Commander Asha Patwardhan said this was an excellent example of how intelligence sharing between agencies and international partnerships with border and law enforcement agencies could result in swift action.

“Criminal syndicates will attempt to conceal their imports in whatever ways they can, however our ABF officers are expertly trained to identify anomalies in various forms no matter what type of complex concealment is employed” she said.

“Working closely with our federal counterparts provided ABF officers with the additional knowledge to intercept the consignment promptly, which resulted in almost nine million individual deals not making it to the streets.”

Homeland Security Investigations regional attaché Ernest Verina said the international reach of organised crime was dismantled by law enforcement partnerships, like the one between Australia and the United States.

“HSI is resolute in stopping the flow of these dangerous drugs from entering our communities” he said.