Two United States nationals were sentenced in the Melbourne County Court on 25 October 2024 for their involvement in an attempted importation of over 1.7 tonnes of methamphetamine into Australia in 2019. This was part of the largest-ever shipment of the drug bound for Australian shores.
A 57-year-old man was sentenced to 21 years in prison, with a non-parole period of 14 years, while a 52-year-old woman received a 14-year sentence, with a non-parole period of eight years and six months. The quantity of methamphetamine seized could have been sold as over 17 million street deals, with an estimated street value of $1.29 billion.
The two individuals are the last of six syndicate members charged in Australia to be convicted. Four others have already been sentenced, including Australian and South Korean nationals.
The investigation, launched in 2018 by the Victorian Joint Organised Crime Taskforce (JOCTF), uncovered a drug smuggling syndicate operating out of California. The JOCTF worked closely with US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), leading to the interception of a consignment containing 1.728 tonnes of methamphetamine, 25kg of cocaine, and 5kg of heroin in California before it could leave for Australia. The drugs were concealed in containers labelled as audio equipment.
The case culminated in 13 search warrants executed across Melbourne and Sydney in early 2019, resulting in the arrest of six people, including the two US nationals.
Detective Superintendent Jason McArthur of the Australian Federal Police highlighted the significance of this five-year-long investigation, saying, “Stopping more than 1.7 tonnes of methamphetamine before it had a chance to cause havoc on Australian streets protected the community and ensured criminals couldn’t profit at their expense.”
Homeland Security Investigations Attaché Ernest Verina praised the collaboration between law enforcement agencies, stating, “HSI is committed to stopping the scourge of illicit narcotics that devastate our communities.”
Victoria Police’s Detective Acting Superintendent Jim Sullivan noted that the effects of methamphetamine, including increased road trauma and violent crime, would have been devastating had the shipment reached Australian streets.
The investigation, dubbed Operation Hoth, saw cooperation between multiple agencies, including Victoria Police, the Australian Border Force, and US Customs and Border Protection.
Superintendent Ben Michalke of the Australian Border Force hailed the operation as a landmark achievement in combating transnational organised crime and protecting Australian communities from the harm caused by methamphetamine.
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