SYDNEY, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Police have arrested and charged two men after 128 kg of cocaine was found in a consignment that arrived at Sydney Airport.
The police force in the state of New South Wales (NSW) said in a statement on Tuesday that the arrests were made by a strike force that was established to investigate a shooting at a home in Sydney's inner-west suburbs in July.
During the course of the investigation, officers found evidence to suggest that the group responsible for the shooting was also involved in importing illicit drugs into NSW and subsequently identified a consignment that arrived at Sydney Airport on Saturday as containing 128 kg of cocaine.
The cocaine was seized and officers from NSW Police and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) on Monday arrested two men, aged 26 and 24, after they were observed allegedly trying to access the consignment at a Sydney freight forwarding business.
Another 4 kg of cocaine as well as cash, 4 kg of an unidentified crystal substance and 110 grams of methamphetamine was located and seized by officers executing search warrants at properties in western Sydney.
Both men were charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border controlled drug and participating in a criminal group. The 26-year-old was also charged with supplying a prohibited drug in large commercial quantities.
If convicted, they both face maximum penalties of life imprisonment.
NSW Police said that the 128 kg of cocaine had an estimated street value of 63 million Australian dollars (41.3 million U.S. dollars). ■
