Millions of dollars of ketamine allegedly concealed in tubs of liquid cement at Lara property

Australian Federal Police officers have unearthed 80kg of ketamine buried in the ground at a rural property in Lara, near Geelong.

Three men from a Victorian crime syndicate have been arrested over Australia’s largest seizure of ketamine.

A total of 174kg of ketamine with an estimated value of $6.9 million was uncovered as part of the major Australian Federal Police operation over the past two days.

An Altona man, 37, a Sunshine North man, 33, and a Hoppers Crossing man, 32, were arrested late on Tuesday at Lara, near Geelong, as part of an inquiry by AFP transnational serious and organised crime investigation officers.

The Altona man and the Sunshine man are accused of coordinating and facilitating an 80kg ketamine import while the Hoppers Crossing man is alleged to have tried to take possession of the consignment.

The AFP said the drug was allegedly concealed in tubs of liquid cement which arrived from Spain on June 26.

AFP officers seized ketamine worth an estimated value of $6.9 million.

The ketamine was allegedly concealed in tubs of liquid cement.

The police operation, dubbed Woodgate, had been set up a month earlier after the AFP received intelligence from the Spanish Guardia Civil which said their London-based officers had detected the suspicious shipment containing 360 buckets of the cement.

The AFP then ran a controlled operation which allowed the consignment to be delivered to a property at Merrimu while under monitoring.

“It is alleged the Sunshine North man collected the 80kg ketamine and transported it to a large rural property in Lara, near Geelong, where two other alleged members of the criminal syndicate, the Altona man and Hoppers Crossing man moved and unpacked the consignment, pouring out the liquid concrete to locate the illicit drugs,” an AFP statement said.

The group was arrested and a warrant carried out on the Lara home.

Opened buckets of cement, mobile phones and other evidence were seized.

“Police also located a further 80kg of suspected ketamine buried in the ground at the Lara address,” the AFP statement said.

AFP officers comb through evidence on Tuesday night. Picture: Jason Edwards

The Lara property was raided by the AFP. Picture: Jason Edwards

Three men were arrested after the raid. Picture: Jason Edwards

“The operational activity continued throughout the night on Tuesday and today (Wednesday 12 July, 2023) at a home in Altona, along with two commercial storage facilities in Yarraville and Williamstown in Melbourne’s west.”

Investigators confiscated another 14kg of ketamine two high-powered gel blasters, about 25kg of suspected MDMA and $210,000 in cash in those warrants.

The Altona man has been charged with offences including importation of a commercial quantity of ketamine, attempting to possess commercial quantities of ketamine, possessing commercial quantities ketamine, possessing commercial quantities of MDMA and dealing in money or property that is proceeds of indictable crime valued at more than $100,000.

The Sunshine North man faces counts of importing a commercial quantity of ketamine and attempting to possess commercial quantities of unlawfully imported border controlled drugs.

High-powered gel blasters were seized in the raids.

The police operation, dubbed Woodgate, was set up last month.

The Hoppers Crossing man, 32, was charged with attempting to possess commercial quantities of unlawfully imported border controlled drugs.

The men faced Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday where they were remanded to reappear on November 10.

The AFP said more arrests were possible.

As of Wednesday morning, three federal police officers remained on the scene.

The open garage roller door, which is attached to the house, revealed about 50 to 100 black plastic containers stacked up inside, similar to gardening pots, and another 30 stacked in a second garage. The single storey brick home sits on a 2.02ha property along with two sheds and a large greenhouse, which appears to be neglected. One man, who said he worked at a neighbouring property, believed a family had recently moved into the house.

He said it was a quiet area and that it was unusual that police swooped on the home.

There was a small play set with a yellow slide in the front yard as well as a small hatchback and Commodore wagon parked at the rear of the property.

Horses and alpacas roamed about in neighbouring paddocks.

Detective Supt Anthony Hall said the AFP knew criminal syndicates were evolving their methods and hiding ketamine within liquid concrete was an example.

“Ketamine is a dangerous and illicit sedative. Its dissociative effects block sensory brain signals and can cause memory loss, feelings of being detached from one’s body and prevent their ability to perceive danger,” Supt Hall said.

“Unfortunately, in Australia, an average of 40 people are admitted to hospitals every week as a result of experiencing the harm caused by drug use.”

“This total seizure of about 174kg of ketamine and 25kg of MDMA means significant harm to the community had been prevented, thanks to the work of the police officers in both Australia and those offshore whom have collaborated with AFP through the AFP’s international network.”

Supt Hall said Woodgate was an example of how intelligence-sharing with agencies like the Spanish Guardia Civil reaped results.

“This highlights the strength in our agency’s international law enforcement partnerships and is one example of our commitment to aggressively creating a hostile environment for transnational serious and organised crime syndicates to operate, no matter where it is in the world.”