Australian police say they have busted a major drug ring after seizing a record haul of methamphetamine and heroin worth $526 million (500 million Australian dollars) that was stuffed into terra cotta pots.
More than 674 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and 555 pounds of heroin were seized as part of an operation that began a year ago when the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration tipped off officials that an international crime syndicate was planning to import drugs to Australia. Police targeted two massive cargo containers containing 3,200 terra cotta pots coming from Thailand.
X-rays of the containers showed what was probably drugs heavily packed into 100 pots, officials said Tuesday in Australia.
The pots were sealed with a putty-like substance to conceal the drugs, officials said.
"The actual concealment itself wasn't particularly sophisticated: terra cotta pots concealed in bulk on pallets within cardboard boxes and then shrink-wrapped," said Mike Pezzullo of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.
Officials from the two investigating agencies in Australia said it was the largest seizure of methamphetamine in the country's history and the third largest of heroin.
Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner of Operations Andrew Colvin said that through the course of the investigation, authorities kept close watch on suspects as they tracked the shipment.
Four suspects from Hong Kong and three Australians were arrested as part of the operation, the Australian Federal Police and Australian Customs and Border Protection Service announced. The men face a maximum penalty of life in prison on charges of possession or attempting to possess commercial quantities of methamphetamine or heroin.
“This operation follows the AFP’s most successful year in terms of drug seizures," Colvin said in a news release. “In the 2011/12 financial year, the AFP and its partner agencies seized almost 14 tons of illicit substances bound for drug distribution networks across Australia."
Colvin said that was in large part due to the collaboration between international intelligence groups.
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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I blame bush
you know what they should do to all those addicts, those who support legalization of drugs, and drug dealers when incarcerated. feed them their drug of choice for breakfast, lunch and dinner and nothing else except water. in huge doses till they get to the point that they find it repulsive.
You win the Internets!
Dang, there goes the 100% return I was promised when I invested my pension in T-Pots are Us.
Wot! Wot!! – Its death penalty in Asia continent – But have a billion that like owning the 2win towers – I hope you can as well apprehend those recruiting our African brothers and Sisters as a courier cause those behind it are Highly respected people – Don't be surprise Police, immigration and customs are part of this and they know who the Whale is but instead they go for the mackerels and posting it on news like they did great Job #WORLDCONSPIRACY
I didn't know anyone still used LSD.
There goes our deficit payment to Australia
Your comment made my day! I was thinking Breaking Bad as I read the article!
Good job, Australian Police!
Way to go!
Cant we all just smoke marijana and get along? Why does anybody need anything harder?
I tried to call U SAUL........but your line was busy. GET OFF TWITTER AND ANSWER DAMN PHONE. Gezzzzzus wheeeezus.
Another assault on liberty.
Drug use is a personal choice. It is a means to an end: the pursuit of happiness. It may not be YOUR means, but it is A means that does not affect nor include you.
Live and let live.
Liberty.
Freedom.
Do unto others.
There are too many buzz words, cliches, and quotes that cover this... so how about something crass?
Mind your own f-ing business.
Personal choice?
Tell that to the countless innocent people and victims, who have suffered because of this poison.
Legalizing such poison won't stop the destruction caused; it won't erase the societal costs; nor will it protect the innocent from those who abuse such drugs.
this isn't marijuana(which I am pro-legailization of) This is Meth and heroin, which does affect other people and should most definately be illegal. Have you ever met a person with a child who is addicted to meth/heroin(Both of which are easy to get addicted to)...9 times out of ten, they put their very controlling drug addiction above the safety and care of their child. Yes. It happens on a regular basis. Your argument needs some work. Marijuana and Meth are two COMPLETELY different drugs, the common argument for marijuana doesn't quite work for Meth and heroin...
rampant drug use affects innocent people. if you make drugs readily available youd better give away the money to buy them. otherwise people wil continue robbing and murdering for them. and that can affect me, my children and my neighbors. dont be naive
Well , there is a huge cost for your "freedom" and your " choice". It is paid by the rest of us as well as by you. Billions of dollars are spent each year treating your choice in rehab centers and hospitals by people suffering health care consequences from "your choice". Emergency rooms are flooded with "your choice" and there are people injured because your choice makes you violent or dangerously irresponsible. Your choice ruins families and lives. And most of all, your choice funds some of the most evil people in the world who oppress the poor and commit countless murders in the name of "your choice". The question is this. Is getting high really worth it? Surely you can be happy in some other way that does not destroy the lives of people who care about you or the world at large? Surely you have more creativity than that. Surely you have more courage than that?
Imagine how much suffering and harm was prevented by getting this trash off of the street.
Keep up the good work, Australia!
To those who are responsible for producing and trafficking this poison, may God deal with you, severely, as you deserve.
speaking as a former addict, id say imagine the sheer, unadulterated joy it'd bring the users. people ruin their own lives. drugs are just a drop in the misery pail.
Meth is a man made plague along with unregulated Heroin
Not too bright smugglers... better to have multiple small shipments.
Heisenberg!