Australia makes country’s largest-ever ‘ice’ bust

Australian police said on Thursday they had arrested four people and seized 239 kilograms (527 pounds) of methamphetamine, or ice, in the country’s biggest bust of its kind.

The drug would have been worth up to A$50 million ($54 million) on the streets and was seized in a series of raids across Sydney and Perth, in which cash and a loaded semi-automatic pistol were also found.

The previous biggest seizure of methamphetamine was 219 kilograms in Melbourne in 2008.
Of the four arrested, two were Australian and the other two described as Europeans. Three of them were charged with trafficking commercial quantities of controlled drugs and the other with possession.

“This investigation strikes a significant blow to organised criminal groups operating in Australia,” said Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Kevin Zuccato.

He added that the sophistication of transnational crime syndicates and the strength of the domestic currency was making Australia an increasingly popular target for drug trafficking operations.

“Organised crime syndicates no doubt look at Australia and see a lucrative drug market and a strong currency compared to the US dollar,” said Zuccato.

“But they should also be looking over their shoulders. These total seizures demonstrate improvements in the effectiveness and cohesion of Australian law enforcement to combat organised crime and drug syndicates.”

The record haul caps a strong year for Australian police, who have seized more than 1.8 tonnes of drugs since last July.