Police discover 500L of meth in vinegar bottles

A man will face court on Thursday after authorities found $41.6m worth of methamphetamine in a shipment of an everyday food product.

A Melbourne man will front court on Thursday after an Australian Federal Police investigation let to the discovery of 500 litres of methamphetamine in a shipment of vinegar bottles.

Having identified “anomalies” in plastic barrels of white vinegar imported into Melbourne on February 8, Australian Border Force officers made the shocking discovery after testing the containers’ liquid.

The shipment of food products was sent from Northern Iraq, to Türkiye, then Australia. Picture: AFP

The 500 litres of methamphetamine has a street value of $41.6m. Picture: AFP

The 25 vinegar bottles were packaged within a larger shipment of food products originally sent from Northern Iraq, to Türkiye, then Australia.

With each barrel containing 20 litres of liquid, the total volume of methamphetamine was determined to be 500 litres with a street value of $41.6m.

Although the liquid substance allegedly returned a positive reading for methamphetamine, further forensic examination is yet to determine the purity of the seized drugs.

Investigators discretely removed the illicit material and instead delivered a “harmless substance” to an address in Clayton in Victoria.

Police arrested a 43-year-old man on April 5 who is expected to face court on April 6. Picture: AFP

Each of the 25 bottles contained 20 litres of liquid, constituting a total of 500 litres of methamphetamine. Picture: AFP

On Wednesday, police executed a search warrant at residences in Fawkner and Bentleigh East, where a 43-year-old Fawkner man, with alleged links to Middle Eastern organised crime, was arrested.

The man was charged with importing and attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, and is now facing a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

AFP Detective Superintendent Anthony Hall said had investigators failed to thwart the massive importation of methamphetamine “countless lives and families would have been horrendously affected”.

“The illicit drug supply chain is littered with violence and had this amount of methamphetamine made its way to Australian streets, it would have spread through our suburbs, fuelling more violence, crime and drug addiction,” he said.

The 43-year-old man will face Melbourne Magistrates court on Thursday.

For information about drug and alcohol addiction treatment or support, go to www.turningpoint.org.au.

Originally published as Police discover 500L of meth in vinegar bottles