By Sarah Keoghan and Olivia Ireland
Methylamphetamine worth at least $25 million has been found hidden inside tins of cookies and stew containers after a raid of a drug lab in Sydney’s lower north shore, with a Canadian national behind bars over the haul.
Police executed the search warrant at a home in Gladesville on Wednesday morning and found the clandestine lab along with approximately 50 kilograms of crystal meth in metal food tins and lab equipment.
Police found 50 kilograms of crystal meth in metal food tins during the search.Credit: NSW Police
Arash Binesh Pajou, 43, was arrested at his Pymble home about half an hour after the search, with police seizing cash, mobile phones, jewellery and electronic devices at the property.
Two storage sheds in Gladesville and Petersham were also searched about 3pm, with several boxes of imported food products – believed to contain meth – seized.
The meth was discovered inside containers of imported food products.Credit: NSW Police
“They’d gone into great detail in concealing their prohibited drugs, bringing them into the country via the legitimate food products,” Detective Superintendent Peter Faux said.
“In relation to the 43-year-old male, he’s actually a Canadian National, he has had a visitor visa for the last 12 months and he’s been coming and going from Australia. He’s been here for the last several weeks.
“In which time, we’ve focused our investigation on him and we’re currently working with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in respect to other components in the inquiries from Canada.”
Faux said police had so far extracted about 50kg of meth from the food products, with an approximate street value of $25 million.
“We do believe from the other search warrants we’ve located approximately 1500 further tins of food products containing methylamphetamine ... there could be up to a further 180kg of methylamphetamine concealed within those products,” he said.
Detectives are working with international agencies to investigate if others were involved in the drug operation.
“We will allege in court this laboratory was extracting drugs which had been imported via a complex concealment method in cookie tins and [stew] containers,” Faux said.
“This is a clear example of the lengths organised criminal networks will go to in an attempt to bring drugs in.”
Pajou was taken to Hornsby Police Station and charged with manufacturing and supplying a large commercial quantity of prohibited drugs. He was refused bail when he appeared at Hornsby Local Court on Thursday.
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