$61m MDMA bust: drugs hidden in barbecues

An operation spanning three countries has resulted in the seizure of 645kg of the drug MDMA in Sydney.

645kg of MDMA was found inside a shipment of aluminium barbecues. Source: AFP

A shipment of 645kg – or $61 million worth – of the drug MDMA has been found hidden inside a shipment of barbecues in Sydney as the result of a joint law enforcement operation spanning six months and three countries.

The investigation conducted by the Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force, the Cyprus Drug Law Enforcement Unit and the United Kingdom National Crime Agency resulted in the arrests on Monday of a 30-year-old Queensland man and a 33-year-old Canadian national.

Forensic police with the aluminium barbecues where the MDMA was stored. Picture: AFP

The pair were charged over their involvement in the criminal enterprise to import the MDMA.

It will be alleged the pair were importing the drugs in 200 aluminium barbecues from Cyprus to Sydney.

Following a tip off from authorities in Cyprus, Australian Border Force found the barbecues – which were vacuum-packed and had false plate bottoms – stuffed full with the brown crystalline substance in July.

It was determined to be 645kg of MDMA, which equates to 2.2 million pills with a street value of approximately $61 million.

The 200 aluminium barbecues in which 645kg of MDMA was found. Source: AFP

ABF officials allegedly replaced the drug with another substance, which then sat inside the barbecues in a Matraville warehouse for three months.

It will be alleged the Queensland man living in Coomera, south of Brisbane, travelled to Sydney to move the barbecues to another warehouse in the Sydney suburb of Smeaton Grange.

He was arrested on Monday at an apartment in Bondi Junction and faced Sydney Central Local Court on Tuesday.

The drugs have a street value of $61 million. Picture: AFP

The Canadian man allegedly arrived in Australia on December 10 and visited the Smeaton Grange warehouse the following day.

He was arrested in Brisbane and is expected to be extradited the NSW after appearing in the Brisbane Magistrates Court.

The both face the possibility of life imprisonment.

AFP Commander Organised Crime Kirsty Schofield said the seizure was a significant result for public safety, particularly for the summer music festival season.

MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy or molly, is the drug at the centre of Australia’s recent spate of tragic music festival deaths.

AFP image from their haul of 645kg of MDMA, which was found inside a shipment of aluminium barbecues. Picture: AFP

“The size of this seizure and the amount of harm it could potentially have caused cannot be understated, and the Australian community is safer for it not being on our streets,” she said.

“We are grateful to our partners in Cyprus and the UK for their willingness to help us as we seek to identify those responsible for this consignment – we will always try and work our way up the chain of organised crime syndicates seeking to profit from exploiting our community.”

Commander Schofield said there were more arrests expected to be made in Australia and overseas in relation to the drug syndicate.