Authorities have seized more than 150 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and 340 kilograms of pre-curser ephedrine, smuggled into Sydney in bar stools and soup packets.
The drugs, which arrived in three shipping containers from China, hold a street value of up to $167.5 million, with authorities claiming the pre-curser ephedrine could be used to manufacture more methamphetamine.
Drug authorities identified the substances and — in an undercover operation — delivered them to the provided addresses in Peakhurst and Kingsgrove, where they arrested four people.
A 57-year-old woman and 50-year-old man were among the four people taken into custody on attempted drug smuggling charges on Thursday.
A 26-year-old man was arrested at Narwee after authorities continued the undercover delivery.
“Based on intelligence we identified a significant concealment of methamphetamine and ephedrine and our officers were able to disrupt this attempt to illegally import a very large amount of drugs,” said Australian Border Force NSW Regional Commander Tim Fitzgerald.
The four arrested were expected to face Sydney Central Local Court on Friday for the attempted smuggling charges, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The Australian Federal Police and Chinese National Narcotics Control Commission joined forces in November — in an initiative called Taskforce Blaze — to investigate the trafficking of methamphetamine into Australia.
Police are not ruling out further arrests.
