SYDNEY, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Border Force said in a joint statement on Wednesday that more than 300 kg of methamphetamine were seized in Sydney.
According to the statement, the seized methamphetamine could have been sold as more than 3 million individual street deals and reached an estimated street value of over 273 million Australian dollars (about 180 million U.S. dollars).
The drugs were hidden inside a steel hydraulic press, which arrived into the Australian state of New South Wales by ship on April 18.
Engineering experts identified a white substance deep inside the machinery, after drilling into the core of the hydraulic press.
The machinery was pulled apart to reveal 79 circle-shaped blocks of methamphetamine. The blocks were stored within two lead-lined tubs in a bid to evade detection.
"Methamphetamine causes immense harm. On average, 33 people were hospitalized each day in Australia for methamphetamine-related incidents in 2020-21," said AFP Detective Sergeant Salam Zreika.
Zreika noted that the funding needed to obtain 300 kg of methamphetamine, and to develop such a complex concealment method could be achieved only by a well-established organized crime syndicate.
The AFP is currently seeking information to identify the transnational crime syndicate. ■
