Channara Ly Thong fronts court over massive meth seizure

A drug kingpin involved in the importation of huge hauls of ice into Melbourne concealed the drug — with a street value of up to $149m — in canola oil.

A major player in a crime syndicate that imported huge quantities of ice concealed in massive consignments of canola oil into Melbourne worth up to $149m has been jailed for at least seven years and 10 months.

US national Channara Ly Thong was visiting Melbourne when he agreed to help in the handling and recording of the imported methamphetamine and cocaine at a storage facility in Sunshine in May 2023.

Thong appeared for sentencing in County Court on February 28 on charges of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug and trafficking in a drug of dependence.

Channara Ly Thong has been sentenced to a maximum of 13 years' imprisonment for his involvement in huge hauls of ice concealed in massive consignments of canola oil.

The court heard that Canadian authorities seized and reconstructed nearly three tonnes of liquid meth concealed as canola oil on January 20, 2023 and sent it to Melbourne.

The Australian Federal Police reconstructed the shipment before it was collected by the syndicate players and taken to the storage facility in Sunshine.

CCTV footage showed Thong unloading pellets containing liquid meth and going in and out of a storage unit.

He was arrested in a home at Sunshine North on June 14, 2023 and police found a clandestine meth lab in the garage.

Judge Douglas Trapnell said the consignment contained 419kg of pure meth with an estimated street value of between $75m and $149m.

Judge Trapnell said Thong had arrived in Melbourne from the US a short time before he began offending.

Australian Federal Police arrested a number of people, including Channara Ly Thong in connection with a shipment of liquid meth concealed in canola oil.

Although Thong was not involved in importing the drugs, the judge said he played an important and trusted role in the chain from importation to end-user distribution.

“In my view you were an enthusiastic and able ‘foot soldier’ whose role was greater than that of a mere courier.”

Thong told a psychologist that while in Melbourne, he sought comfort and connection by using illicit substances with potentially group-affiliated individuals as he was holidaying alone in a foreign country.

A second man, Hein Pham, was sentenced in September last year to six years’ imprisonment with a minimum non parole of three years for his role in the offending.

Another co-accused Justin Craig Barnett is up for plea in April.

The cases of three others are still before the court.

Thong received a maximum of 13 years’ imprisonment.