FOUR people have been charged over their alleged involvement in a $155 million drug shipment stashed inside a shipping container that arrived at Port Botany earlier this month.
The container was declared to contain a car – namely a 1960 vintage Bentley S2 – which had been shipped from Canada.
Though the container did, in fact, contain a vintage Bentley, an examination carried out by the Australian Border Force identified a large quantity of methylamphetamine (or “ice”) concealed behind the vehicle’s headlights.
The matter was referred to the NSW Police Force and the vehicle was partially dismantled, revealing 161 kilograms of ice and 30 kilograms of cocaine.
Detectives from the State Crime Command’s Criminal Groups Squad, with assistance from the ABF, Australian Federal Police and Royal Canadian Mounted Police established Strike Force Chime to investigate the import.
Strike force detectives executed a search warrant at Rooty Hill, Sydney on Thursday last week and seized the Bentley, along with a Ford Focus, mobile phones and a computer.
Three men and a woman, all in their twenties, received charges relating to their alleged roles in the importation of commercial quantities of border-controlled drugs.
Two men were refused bail to appear at Mr Druitt Local Court on Friday (26 August), and one man and the woman were refused bail to appear at Ballina Local Court that same day.
ABF and police officers estimate the drugs had a total estimated street value of around $155 million.
They said Strike Force Chime investigations are ongoing.
