Record $1.3bn Mexican drug haul averts 'tsunami of ice' entering Australia
A major Mexican drug cartel’s $1.3 billion drugs haul bound for Australia was seized by US authorities in a major operation sparked by a police officer in country Victoria pulling over a small-time drug dealer.
Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police say the record haul, the largest found in either country, demonstrates a “clear” link between local outlaw motorcycle gangs and “extremely sophisticated” Mexican drug cartels.
The 1.7-tonne seizure was revealed by Australian Federal Police on Friday morning, following the arrest of six people in Victoria and NSW on Thursday.
In early 2018 a policeman in a small regional Victorian town pulled over a driver, finding a small quantity of drugs in the man’s car. The arrest led police to a house where two tonnes of precursor was used to cook methamphetamine.
The matter was reported to federal authorities and the national anti-gang taskforce, who established a link between Australian bikie gangs and overseas crime syndicates.
Months of investigation by Australian and US authorities led to the seizure in California on January 9 of meth bound for Australia, stored in two containers and 850 electrical capacitors.
AFP organised crime assistant commissioner Bruce Hill said Australia had been in the sights of Mexican cartels for years, as a propensity to “pay top dollar” for illicit drugs made our market a prime hunting ground for cartels.
“I’ve got to be very careful what I say regarding the Mexicans as there are ongoing investigations offshore … but they are one of the major and most powerful organised crime cartels currently operating,” Mr Hill said.
“We have averted a tsunami of ice coming into Australia.”
Mr Hill said Australians' high levels of methamphetamine use had allowed cartels to flourish here.
“It is now time for you to stop consuming,” he said.
Victoria Police assistant commissioner Tess Walsh could not guarantee that the seizure had severed links between the Mexican cartel and Australian bikie gangs, but said “inroads” had been made into the syndicate.
Ms Walsh said three people arrested in Melbourne were not directly involved in bikie gangs. The AFP referred to those arrested as “facilitators”, rather than direct members of the syndicate.
The 1.7 tonnes of methamphetamine could have resulted in more than 17 million drug deals, police said.
Arrests in Melbourne, Sydney
Four people were taken into custody in Victoria on Thursday, including a husband and wife originally from the US.
Raids were carried out by Victoria Police, Border Force and the AFP at Woodstock, Pakenham and Campbellfield, in Melbourne's north.
Ten search warrants executed in Victoria on Thursday led to arrest of two US nationals, a 52-year-old man and a 46-year-old woman, in Woodstock. Suspected proceeds of crime worth $500,000 of were found at their premises, police say.
Two Australians - a 31-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman - were arrested in Keilor Downs, with police seizing 6.5kg of methamphetamine at their property.
American nationals Nasser Abo Abdo and Leonor Fajardo, both of Woodstock, fronted Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday on drugs charges, along with Tuan Ngoc Tran, of Keilor Downs.
Mr Abo Abdo, 52, Ms Fajardo, 46, and Mr Tran, 31, were remanded in custody and are due to return to court on June 17.
Warrants were also served in the Sydney suburbs of Bonnyrig Heights, Mount Pritchard and Hinchinbrook, resulting in the arrest of two Australian men, aged 25 and 31. Both men have been charged with attempting to import a commercial quantity of drugs.
The two men are expected to appear briefly on Friday in court in Sydney, where Australian Federal Police officers will apply to have them extradited to Melbourne.
They are both charged with attempting to import a commercial quantity of ice, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The pair are expected to appear briefly in court in Sydney on Friday, where Australian Federal Police officers will apply to have them extradited to Melbourne.
The US Department of Homeland Security found the shipment, which included 25 kilograms of cocaine and 5kg of heroin, worth a combined street value of $12 million.
Drugs found in electronic equipment
Pallets of electronic equipment bearing Californian electronics company shipping stickers were dismantled and x-rayed at two Campbellfield factories. A white van was searched and taken away from the scene.
The arrests are a result of a joint intelligence Victorian Joint Organised Crime Taskforce, Border Force, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and the Department of Home Affairs.
Arrest warrants were also executed in Canada with the assistance of Canadian authorities, yielding a larger seizure of suspected proceeds of crime.
Acting US Ambassador to Australia James Carouso called it a “historic seizure”, praising the efforts of the agencies involved.
“This … highlights just how important the US-Australian partnership is in protecting Americans and Australians alike. Every day, US and Australia law enforcement officers work together to keep us all safe,” he said.