SYDNEY, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- The police force in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) has arrested two men and seized 60 kg methylamphetamine, following a highway pursuit in the state's south.
According to a statement released by the NSW police force on Friday, the prohibited drugs have an estimated street value of 15 million Australian dollars (about 10.3 million U.S. dollars).
At about 10:15 a.m. local time on Thursday, officers detected a passenger van travelling at a speed of 144 km/h in a 110 km/h zone on the Hume Highway at Tumblong.
The vehicle was stopped by police with the driver, a 30-year-old man, required to undergo a roadside drug test. When the man returned a positive result, he sped away from the scene, which triggered a police pursuit.
NSW Police Detective Chief Inspector Winston Woodward told local media that spikes were deployed to stop the van and one of the tires was down.
He added that the van continued to drive for some time until it went into a paddock.
The driver and a 27-year-old male passenger were arrested after a short foot pursuit. Along with the illegal drugs, a rifle magazine and ammunition were also found when the police officers searched the vehicle.
Both men were charged with supplying a large commercial quantity of prohibited drugs and possessing prohibited drugs, while the driver also faced charges related to the police pursuit, which included driving at speed, driving a motor vehicle while licence suspended, and escaping police custody.
The two men were refused bail to appear at a local court. ■
