AFP snares $100m of methamphetamine sent to Tooborac

Two 44-gallon drums sent from LA – labelled as vegetable oil but which really contained liquid methamphetamine – have been seized in a tiny 300-person rural town north of Melbourne.

Australian Federal Police have seized 312kg of liquid methamphetamine that was delivered to a tiny rural town in Victoria from Los Angeles.

A massive $100 million plus drug haul sent to a tiny Victorian country town has been snared by the Australian Federal Police.

Two black 44-gallon drums, labelled vegetable oil but containing liquid methamphetamine, were sent to Tooborac, 100km north of Melbourne.

The huge stash was sent from Los Angeles airport to Sydney via Asia, before being redirected to Brisbane and then Melbourne.

The highly sophisticated criminal syndicate behind the importation then waited two weeks before sending the consignment to an unoccupied house in the remote 300-person town.

Unbeknown to the gang, police removed the drugs after being tipped off by Homeland Security Investigations special agents in the states.

When the drugs were not picked up in Tooborac, AFP officers pounced, executing search warrants across Victoria, inner-Sydney and Brisbane.

AFP Detective Superintendent Kristie Cressy said it was highly unusual for the drugs to be sent to such a rural location.

“It isn’t common and we don’t believe that location was picked at random,” she said.

“Usually drugs are moved across the metro city to try and blend in. To move them to such a rural area, where suspicious activity can be picked up much more easily, we believe someone had intimate knowledge of that location and what homes would be empty.”

The AFP says it’s unusual to try to move drugs into a rural location.

She added: “The consignment would need refinement to make into the final product, they need someone with chemical knowledge. So while we do not believe Tooborac was the final destination, it is possible there is a site nearby where this process could take place and we would appeal to anyone in that general area to come forward if they have noticed anything unusual at all.”

It is believed the drugs originated in Mexico, or “a known source country in that region” before arriving at LAX airport in July. When the drugs were detected by Homeland Security and US Customs and Border Protection, Operation Tallow was launched in conjunction with the AFP.

The drugs, in 44-gallon drums, travelled via Asia to Sydney airport and then on to a house in the inner-city.

It was then redirected to Brisbane but changed at the last minute to come to Melbourne, where it was held in storage for two weeks. The consignment was delivered to Tooborac last Tuesday (SEPT 5).

“We have strong intelligence that crime groups are involved in this syndicate which are transnational, well-resourced and patient,” Supt Cressy said.

“They have moved the drugs around to add layers of complexity and to distance themselves from it, but we are confident we know the individuals behind it.”

She added: “Criminals may work hard to execute elaborate schemes, but the AFP and its partner agencies work harder to detect concealments of any nature.

“We are certain there are people who know something about this importation, or may have seen suspicious activity in the vicinity of Tooborac during the past few weeks.”

Ernest Verina, of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), said authorities would not stop until those responsible were caught.

“Criminal organisations that display such a wilful disregard to our community’s safety to sell this deadly poison must be held fully accountable,” he said

“HSI’s partnership with AFP is vital to stopping illicit narcotics smuggling and we will continue our joint efforts to identify those responsible for the smuggling of this liquid meth.”

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers, free and confidentially, on 1800 333 000 or via crimestoppers.com.au