It all started with a shipment (manifested as a large metal machine) arriving in Sydney from Mexico.
Officers from Australian Customs and Border Protection Services (ACBPS) arranged an inspection of the shipment and discovered that several welds at the base of the machine were open and peeking out from below were a number of foil bags.
The officers made further examination of these foil bags and found they contained a white crystalline substance. The powder tested positive for methamphetamine with an estimated weight of 10 kilograms.
On the 15 May, a controlled delivery was made to a hotel in Darlinghurst. Officers from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) arrested a 26 year old Australian man after he accessed the consignment. Soon after, the AFP arrested a 32 year old Canadian man.After a short pursuit, a 47 year old Spanish man was also arrested.
All three men have been charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, namely methamphetamine.
The maximum penalty for this offense is life imprisonment, or a fine of $1,275,000, or both.
Source: Australian Customs and Border Protection Services
