Two men have faced court over an alleged plot to smuggle around £660 of methamphetamine into Australia.
Police say the couple, both 33 and living in south-east Melbourne, are part of a Chinese and Taiwanese international crime syndicate that operates out of Melbourne.
The alleged plot was discovered after “anomalies” were found when a shipment of 12 surfboards was x-rayed on August 11.
Inside the surfboards, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) say they found around 172 pounds of a “crystalline substance” (allegedly methamphetamine) before being replaced by a fictitious substance.
Two men allegedly involved in a Chinese and Taiwanese crime syndicate have been arrested in Australia for smuggling nearly 660 pounds of methamphetamine into the country. Australian Federal Police
The methamphetamine was found inside a shipment of surfboards.Australian Federal Police
Then, 12 days later, the shipment was delivered to a storage unit in Dandenong South.
One of the accused, from Burwood, and another man from Punchbowl in Sydney, allegedly collected the surfboards before they were taken to Sydney on August 25.
Five days later, the Burwood man and his co-accused, from Ferntree Gully, attended a second storage unit.
One of the suspects arrested over the alleged drug trafficking scheme.Australian Federal Police
Police say they raided the unit earlier that day and seized boxes of silicone molds that were allegedly stashed with between 440 and 660 pounds of methamphetamine.
The two men were arrested Tuesday and each charged with drug possession, importing a commercial quantity of methamphetamine and attempting to import a commercial quantity of methamphetamine.
On Thursday, Chen Chen and He-Cheng Huang appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court where they were remanded in custody.
Police also found methamphetamine inside silicone molds in a storage unit.Australian Federal Police
ABF Acting Superintendent Felicity Wicks said the Australian Federal Police was committed to uncovering the “cunning” ways criminal groups try to circumvent borders.
“The ABF is committed to protecting the community from harmful drugs and working closely with our law enforcement partners to stem the tide of methamphetamine flowing into Australia,” he said.
“Strong partnerships can stop organized crime syndicates by making the border a hostile operating environment for those seeking to cause harm to the community.”
Chen and Huang will return to court in January next year.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn