Over £614m (A$1.25bn, $890.5m) worth of liquid methamphetamine has been seized by Australian authorities, after it was smuggled into the country hidden in padded bras and art supplies. A number of locations were raided across Sydney on 15 February, with four Chinese nationals being charged over their alleged roles in the importation and manufacture of the drug. It is the Australian police forces largest haul of liquid meth.
Justice Minister Michael Keenan said, We are here to laud the joint operation in the largest seizure of liquid methamphetamine in Australias history. This is also one of the largest drug seizures in our countrys history.
He added, This largest seizure of methamphetamine to date is a result of organised criminals targeting the lucrative Australia ice market from offshore.
It is thought the haul could be worth around 3.6 million hits of meth. The seizure was a joint investigation between the Australian authorities, and the Chinese National Narcotics Control Commission.
In 2015 a crystal meth epidemic was declared in Australia. The year before, a study found that 2.1% of the population used methamphetamines or amphetamine drugs ranking it amongst the highest drug consumption rates in the world. According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, China is the worlds largest manufacturer of the chemical precursors necessary to make licit and illicit drugs.
