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The AFP has charged three Queensland men for their alleged involvement in a plan to import 1.2 tonnes of liquid methamphetamine into Australia, after Canadian authorities intercepted the illicit drugs hidden in a consignment of juice bottles.
The Queenslanders, aged 30, 35 and 43, were arrested by AFP officers at a rural property in Jimboomba and a shopping centre in Browns Plains on Brisbane's south side last week (Wednesday 11 September, 2024).
The trio faced Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday (12 September, 2024). The Jimboomba man, 43, was remanded in custody to reappear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court tomorrow (Tuesday 17 September, 2024). The Jimboomba man, 35, and Buccan man, 30, were both remanded in custody to reappear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday 20 September, 2024.
The AFP investigation focussed on a transnational serious organised crime syndicate that allegedly organised the attempted importation of 1280 litres of liquid methamphetamine concealed within a consignment of juice bottles.
This amount of liquid methamphetamine has an estimated street value of $400 million, once converted in crystal methamphetamine, and could have equated to 4 million individual street deals.
The AFP launched its investigation after the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) allegedly identified the illicit drugs in May 2024, when the consignment arrived in Vancouver from Brazil.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) alerted the AFP before the liquid methamphetamine was removed from the consignment and replaced with an inert substance. The shipment then continued to Brisbane, where it arrived via a container ship on 3 September, 2024.
The AFP arrested the three men after the consignment was delivered to a semi-rural property in Jimboomba and stored in a large shed.
A Jimboomba man, 43, a Jimboomba man, 35 and a Buccan man, 30, have each been charged with:
- Attempting to possess a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border controlled drug, namely methamphetamine, contrary to sections 307.5 and 11.1 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
The maximum penalty for this offence is life imprisonment.
Testing by Canadian authorities allegedly revealed the liquid methamphetamine had a purity level up to 89 per cent. The seized liquid methamphetamine will undergo further forensic testing by the AFP to confirm the purity of the shipment.
AFP Acting Commander Adrian Telfer said the negative impact of methamphetamine on the Australian community was well known.
"The cost to our society from 4 million hits of crystal methamphetamine cannot be overstated," A/Commander Telfer said.
"If converted to crystal meth and sold into the Australian community, this amount of liquid methamphetamine would have led to domestic violence, assaults and contributed to the road toll, as well as lined the pockets or organised crime.
Acting Commander Telfer said the AFP's international network was a vital weapon in the fight against transnational organised crime in Australia and around the world.
"Through this operation the AFP, working with our partners in Canada, has prevented a large amount of this illicit drug from reaching our communities and causing harm, and put a sizeable dent in the wallets of organised crime.
"I'd like to thank our partners in Canada - the Canada Border Services Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police - for their invaluable assistance with this investigation."
Nina Patel, Regional Director General, Pacific Region, Canada Border Services Agency said: "CBSA's seizure of nearly 1,280 litres of liquid methamphetamine and the investigations by our partners is a testament to the cooperation between transnational law enforcement to combat the illegal drug trade."
"We continue to work alongside the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Border Force and our partners at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to protect our communities from the harm caused by organized crime."
RCMP Chief Superintendent Stephen Lee, Deputy Regional Commander, Pacific Region said: "This is another example of working closely with our international partners and maintaining strong relationships with law enforcement agencies around the world. Transnational crime has no borders, as we live in an increasingly global and interconnected world."
"The RCMP looks beyond the Canadian borders and works closely with its international partners to disrupt international drug trafficking networks."