Police seize 99kg of ice bound for Aussie NYE celebrations, charge three men

Police have allegedly uncovered a massive 99kg shipment of the drug ice intended to reach Aussie streets for New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Police have intercepted a massive shipment of the drug ice that arrived in Western Australia ahead of New Year’s Eve celebrations.

The 99kg consignment of methamphetamine carries an estimated street value of close to $100m.

Three men – aged 31, 32 and 35 – have been charged with importing the drugs and faced Perth Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

Police say importers are looking to exploit high prices for the drug in WA, where supply has been disrupted by Covid-19 border restrictions.

Police said it was ‘no coincidence the drugs were arriving in time for New Year’s Eve celebrations.

The drugs were concealed in a shipment of latex bed pillows that arrived from Asia by container ship on December 17 and examined by Australian Border Force (ABF) officers.

After an examination uncovered the drugs, police replaced them with a decoy batch that was allowed to be delivered as planned.

Officers then watched as the drugs were taken to a property in Maddington, on Perth’s outskirts, and stored in another shipping container on December 29.

Three men allegedly showed up on December 30 to retrieve the drugs and were arrested.

A van driven by one of the men and a police vehicle collided as the trio allegedly tried to evade authorities.

The delivery of a decoy batch of drugs was allowed to go ahead, with police tracing it to a property in Maddington.

Covid-19 border restrictions have already squeezed supply, leading WA to have the highest prices for meth in the country.

However, police say demand for the drug remains high, with the 99kg shipment capable of servicing close to one million individual street deals.

AFP Acting Assistant Commissioner John Tanti said syndicates were looking to exploit high demand in WA to maximise their profits.

“We believe it is also no coincidence that the drugs had (allegedly) arrived in Perth just in time for New Year’s Eve celebrations – one of the busiest nights of the year for drug and alcohol-fuelled harm,” he said.

“They do not care about the immense harm that this drug causes.”