Sydney drug lab turned out 150 litres of liquid methamphetamine before pair's arrest
Two people who were allegedly extracting methamphetamines from fabrics soaked in the substance in a clandestine drug production facility have been arrested.
Approximately 150 litres of liquid methamphetamine was allegedly discovered by police at a home in Beverly Hills in Sydney's south-west, along with fabrics "soaked in a substance believed to be methamphetamines", police say.
A further 15-17 kilograms of solid methamphetamines were allegedly discovered at the site.
A 51-year-old man and 56-year-old woman, both from Lakemba, were arrested and charged by police and faced court on Thursday. The pair are Chinese nationals, police believe.
They were refused bail, and will appear at Burwood Local Court on 29 August.
Police said further arrests have "not been ruled out" as investigations into the drug production continue.
Further forensic testing will determine the exact weight and purity of the substances, police say.
The latest arrests followed a lengthy joint investigation by Operation Sudwala, which involved the Australian Federal Police, NSW Police Force and Australian Border Force.
In a related arrest in January, investigators seized 70 litres of liquid methamphetamine and charged a man with knowingly manufacturing a greater than large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug.
Police said his arrest uncovered information which led them to visit the "second property of interest" in Beverly Hills.
The man, a 53-year-old Hong Kong national, was refused bail in Burwood Local Court in January.
AFP Coordinator Organised Crime, Detective acting Superintendent Mark Webster described the seizure and disruption to the criminal syndicate as "significant".
NSWPF Organised Crime Squad Commander, Detective Acting Superintendent Damien Beaufils, said demand for illicit drugs must decrease for any real decrease in organised crime.
“All criminal enterprise is motivated by profit, and while ever there is high-demand for drugs, there will be someone trying to exploit it,” Det A/Supt Beaufils said.
“While collaborative local and international law enforcement operations are having success in targeting these networks and their activities, we need strong community cooperation to break the cycle of addiction and ultimately reduce demand for illegal drugs.”