Melbourne dad Tony Raffoul and Steven Desic and James Tims hit with meth importation charges

A Melbourne dad allegedly attempted to import 140kg of meth from Canada which had been hidden inside a dough mixer.

Tony Raffoul has been slapped with major drug charges. Facebook.

A Melbourne dad is front and centre in an accused drug crew which allegedly attempted to import meth with a street value of $88m.

Tony Raffoul, 38, fronted Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday charged with attempting to import and possess a commercial quantity of meth.

Raffoul and co-accused Steven Desic and James Tims were allegedly nabbed after police raided properties at Keilor East, Williamstown, Ravenhall, Bonnie Brook, Maribyrnong, Sunbury and Footscray West on November 17 last year.

Victorian Joint Organised Crime Taskforce members allegedly seized more than $1.5m cash, guns, ammunition, various drugs and precursor chemicals and 212kg of fireworks.

Police also discovered what they allege to be a clandestine drug lab at the Bonnie Brook property.

Authorities latched onto Raffoul and his crew after the Canada Border Services Agency identified a “suspicious air cargo shipment” in Toronto.

Investigators examined the Melbourne-bound shipment which allegedly contained 140kg of meth concealed inside an industrial dough mixing machine.

Australian Federal Police, aided with the Canadian intelligence and information provided by the Royal Malaysian Customs Department, launched into action.

Meth allegedly hidden inside an industrial dough mixer.

Some of the seized cash.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and CBSA obtained approval for an “international controlled operation” to allow the meth to be delivered to Raffoul and co.

The operation was “facilitated” via the AFP’s “international network”.

The meth consignment, which arrived in Melbourne on October 5, was cleared for release and shifted to a Tullamarine storage location.

Investigators monitored the consignment as it was moved to multiple Melbourne locations in what police alleged was a “sophisticated attempt by the people responsible to identify any law enforcement interest”.

Raffoul was arrested and charged with offences including attempting to import a commercial quantity of drugs and cocaine possession.

Tims, 34, of Footscray West, was charged with possession of fireworks, meth and GBL manufacturing, trafficking phenyl-2-propanone, conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of meth and dealing with more than $1m believed to be the proceeds of crime.

Desic, 30, of Keilor, was charged with attempt to possess an unlawfully imported commercial quantity of drugs, deal with the proceeds of crime, gun possession and possess substance, material, documents or equipment for trafficking drugs.

Raffoul, of Sunbury, Tims and Desic will all front court at a later date.

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