Ice cream ice haul: 30kg meth stash hidden in Mexican machine
Tens of millions of dollars worth of the killer drug ice has been found in an ice cream machine in Sydney after the Australian Border Force unearthed the latest bizarre drug importation plot.
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The Australian Border Force have stopped drug runners from putting the “ice” in “ice cream” after they found 30 kilograms of deadly methamphetamine hidden in a dessert-making machine.
It’s the latest in a string of bizarrely concealed drug importations picked up at the Sydney checkpoint.
Anomalies were detected inside a shipping container which arrived in Sydney from Mexico in early May.
The container was opened and a pallet with an ice cream machine was removed from the shipment.
Trained ABF dogs swept the machine and indicated something was hidden inside.
The white crystals were found in the metal machine hidden behind white foam insulation.
Tests revealed it was 30 kilograms of the addictive drug with a street value of $22 million.
The Australian Federal Police took up the investigation and examined the drugs before destroying them.
No arrests have yet been made but, if someone is charged, they could face life in prison for importing a commercial quantity of drugs.
“We’ve found drugs hidden in toiletries, baby products, kid’s toys and even chocolate,” ABF NSW Regional Commander Danielle Yannopoulos said.
“Regardless of how well criminals try to conceal illicit drugs, ABF officers will find them.”
The ABF have unearthed numerous bizarre attempts to get illicit drugs into the country through Sydney this year.
In July pseudoephedrine, the precursor substance used to make ice, was found inside plastic lining hidden in wedding invitations.
A 20-year-old man was charged and remains before the courts.
The same week the ice cream machine entered Australia the ABF found almost two kilos of meth hidden in hand sanitiser and other COVID-19 safety gear imported from Canada.
In another unrelated shipment, $80m worth of liquefied meth masquerading as bottled water was detected at the border in March.
Two Sydney men were charged over the alleged 160 litres drug importation and remain before the courts.
None of the alleged importations are related.