Joint federal-state operation seizes 60kg of methamphetamine destined for Adelaide

AN alleged Hells Angels associate has been arrested over the discovery of $40 million worth of ice imported into Adelaide from Indonesia.

AN alleged Hells Angels associate has been arrested over the discovery of $40 million worth of ice imported into Adelaide from Indonesia.

A joint investigation by Federal Police, the Indonesian National Narcotics Board, Australian Border Force and South Australian Police resulted in the arrest and the seizure of 60kg of ice.

Anthony John Scott, 43, was first brought to the attention of police after a routine stop by Australian Border Force upon his return from Indonesia in 2015.

This led to officers examining a shipment of stone products destined for Adelaide shortly before Christmas, in which about 60kg of the drug was located.

Earlier this week, police initiated a controlled delivery of the stone products, where the drugs were stored inside within cardboard boxes, to a business address in Royal Park.

On Thursday, Scott, identified as an associate of the Hells Angels Outlaw Motorcycle Gang, was observed accessing the delivery and was arrested a short time later at a residence in Flinders Park.

Police searched the Flinders Park house, the business in Royal Park and a separate storage facility in Royal Park, and allegedly seized about 10kg of cannabis, various chemicals and drug making equipment.

AFP State Manager South Australia, Commander Peter Sykora, said the seizure was the result of excellent collaboration between the AFP and domestic and international partners.

“Organised crime enterprises that seek to profit from this insidious drug and cause overwhelming harm to Australians will be disappointed to learn that their poison will not be sold on Australian streets,” Mr Sykora said.

“We are encouraged by this achievement and will continue to work with our partners nationally and internationally, to disrupt and dismantle global organised crime.”

Mr Sykora said it was a routine stop by Australian Border Force that sparked the investigation.

“It was a cursory examination, but when they had a look at some of the information that he had that caused some alarm so they passed on that information to us and we as a law enforcement agency conducted some checks and looked at his business backgrounds and the like which started the investigation,” he said.

SA Police Chief Inspector Anthony Crameri, Investigations Manager Serious & Organised Crime Branch, said it was a great result to remove the drug from the streets.

Scott appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday charged with the importation of a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs.

He was remanded in custody until later this month.

#workingtogether with our partners to keep 60kg of meth off #aussie streets. Press conference at 3pm AEDT pic.twitter.com/7fsLSZjBdb

— Andrew Colvin (@AFPCommissioner) January 8, 2016