A Liverpool man is set to face Downing Centre Local Court today, 23 October 2024, following his arrest in connection with an alleged attempt to import 60kg of methamphetamine into New South Wales.
The investigation began in September 2024 when US authorities discovered 95kg of methamphetamine concealed within a sea-cargo shipment bound for Sydney. The drugs were removed before the vessel departed Los Angeles for Australia.
According to the Australian Federal Police (AFP), their investigation revealed that, once the drugs arrived in Australia, they were to be placed in a vehicle at a public car park in Maroubra for collection.
AFP Detective Superintendent Kristie Cressy stated that the seized methamphetamine could have resulted in 600,000 street-level deals.
“Methamphetamine, like all illicit drugs, causes profound psychological, financial, and social harm to users, their families, and the broader community,” Det-Supt Cressy said.
“Criminals are driven by profit without regard for the damage they inflict.”
On 22 October 2024, the AFP conducted a sting operation, placing packages containing a harmless substance weighing 60kg into a vehicle. Officers allegedly observed a 36-year-old man approach the vehicle, retrieve a key from beneath the bumper, and enter the car, where he was subsequently arrested.
The man has been charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, namely 60kg of methamphetamine, under section 307.5 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth). If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
During the arrest, AFP officers searched another vehicle linked to the man, seizing three prepaid SIM cards, approximately $100,000 in cash, a phone, and an iPad. A search of the man’s residence uncovered small quantities of suspected drugs and a CCTV system.
Detective Superintendent Cressy added that in 2021-2022, Australia saw over 10,000 methamphetamine-related hospitalisations, an average of 27 each day, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Investigations into the case are ongoing.
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