Australian Border Force allegedly intercepted 360 boxes of white and gold mosaic tiles from the Middle East and impregnated with methamphetamine
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) removed the tiles and took them to a storage facility at Chullora in Sydney’s south-west on April 15.
Police allege the consignment was collected by a 56-year-old man, while a 39-year-old man allegedly assisted with storing the illicit drugs at the storage facility.
“The AFP will allege the men were aware the consignment contained illicit drugs and were to be paid up to $50,000 for their activities,” an AFP spokesperson said.
The shipment was then transported to a storage facility in Clayton South in Victoria on April 22.
Police said further inquiries led investigators to identify a 39-year-old Melbourne man as the alleged intended recipient of the illicit drugs.
During a search warrant of the man’s Donnybrook home on May 12, investigators seized a number of electronic devices which allegedly linked the man to the drug importation plot.
The Donnybrook man was charged with one count of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a unlawfully imported border controlled drug, failing to comply with requirement of 3LA order and committing an indictable offence while on bail.
The two Sydney men were arrested this morning at Holroyd and Liverpool and are expected to appear in a Sydney court later today.
The AFP said it is expected they will be charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
