Australian police seized around AUS$200 million worth of methamphetamine hidden in the tires of a truck shipped from China, officials said today.
Three Melbourne men were arrested after officials found more than 200 kilograms of the drug in a shipment from Shanghai that arrived in Melbourne on October 1, the Australian Federal Police said.
"The concealment did show up on X-ray but what was unusual about the truck was when you just looked at it, nothing," Australian Customs and Border Protection Service Victoria regional director Graham Krisohos said.
Two of the three men arrested were dock workers in Melbourne. The men face charges of importing and attempting to possess drugs and face a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.
Australian police have made a series of large drug busts in recent months. The country is becoming an increasingly lucrative market for international drug networks because of the strength of the local currency and resilience of the national economy compared to other wealthy nations.
