Two men arrested after Australian Border Force officers discover 5.28kg of MDMA in postal package
TWO Adelaide men have been arrested after a huge bag of ecstasy — worth more than $2 million — was discovered by Australia Border Force officers in a parcel sent through the post.
A HUGE bag of MDMA — also known as ecstasy — worth more than $2 million was discovered by Australia Border Force officers in a package sent through the post earlier this month.
The 5.28kg package of methelenedioxymethylamphetamine, which is often referred to as MDMA or ecstasy, was seized at the Australian border.
The drugs were already linked to a SA police investigation, which continued after the parcel was intercepted.
On Monday, Serious and Organised Crime Investigation Branch officers arrested a 31-year-old man from Beverley and a 22-year-old man from Saint Clair.
Both were charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of a controlled drug.
After the arrests police searched a number of premises around Adelaide.
Police will allege they found a clandestine drug laboratory, pill press and chemicals capable of being used to manufacture MDMA at a storage unit in Hendon.
At an industrial shed at Wingfield, police located another clandestine drug laboratory where tablets were being pressed with an electric pill press. Steroids and other illicit substances were also discovered.
At a residential premises at Wingfield police found $290,300 in cash, which they suspect is the proceeds of crime.
The man from Beverley has also been charged with money laundering and was refused bail. He is expected to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court today.
The second man has been granted bail and is expected to appear in the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court on September 11.
Chief Inspector Tony Crameri, from the Serious and Organised Crime Branch, said police hope to lay further charges relating to the manufacture of controlled drugs and identity theft.
“These arrests follow co-operation at state and national level by several policing agencies and should act as a further warning to those who would seek to import drugs or chemicals in the post,” he said.
“We would estimate that once manufactured into pills, this seizure would have an estimated street value of more than $2 million.”