The Australian Federal Police have arrested three men and a teenager for allegedly attempting to possess about 230kg of meth hidden in an industrial-sized pulley.
Two men from the Central Coast, one from Sydney and a 17-year-old boy from Penrith were arrested during a police raid on a business in Wetherill Park on May 6 after they allegedly tried to access the substance placed in the pulley.
Investigations have established it arrived in Australia from China in April, before being delivered to the business where power tools were used to try and cut through to the concealed drugs.
The power tools and a number of mobile phones were also seized in the raid.
A 23-year-old man from Woy Woy and a 21-year-old man from Saint Hubert’s Island on the Central Coast were among the group now facing serious criminal charges of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, contrary to section 307.5 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Police will argue that the four alleged offenders are part of a criminal syndicate and played a key role in attempting to access the large cache of drugs.
The three men will appear in Sydney’s Downing Centre Court today, while the 17-year-old boy will appear tomorrow.
Commander John Tanti said the AFP remained dedicated to targeting illicit drug importations.
“Had these drugs reached our communities, countless lives would have been impacted – inflicting a high social cost through crime, including the loss of life, increased healthcare and justice costs and loss of productivity,” Commander Tanti said.
“Transnational organised crime does not respect borders but the AFP has repeatedly demonstrated it can thrive in a borderless environment to protect the Australian community.”