Three men charged over alleged conspiracy to import 1.2 tonnes of liquid methamphetamine into Queensland

Editor’s note: Images available via Hightail.

The AFP has charged three Queensland men over their alleged involvement in a scheme to import 1.2 tonnes of liquid methamphetamine into Australia after Canadian authorities intercepted the illegal drug hidden in a shipment of juice bottles.

The Queensland residents, aged 30, 35 and 43, were arrested by AFP officers last week (Wednesday 11 September 2024) at a Jimboomba estate and a Browns Plains shopping centre on Brisbane’s southside.

The trio appeared in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday (12 September 2024). The Jimboomba man, 43, was remanded in custody to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court again tomorrow (Tuesday 17 September 2024). The Jimboomba man, 35, and the Buccan man, 30, were both remanded in custody to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court again on Friday 20 September 2024.

AFP’s investigation focused on an international network of serious organised crime that allegedly organised the attempted import of 1,280 litres of liquid methamphetamine hidden in a shipment of juice bottles.

This amount of liquid methamphetamine has an estimated street value of $400 million, converted into crystal meth. This would equate to 4 million individual street deals.

The AFP launched its investigation after the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) reportedly identified the illegal drugs in May 2024 when the shipment arrived in Vancouver from Brazil.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) alerted the AFP before the liquid methamphetamine was removed from the shipment and replaced with an inert substance. The shipment then continued to Brisbane, where it arrived by container ship on September 3, 2024.

The AFP arrested the three men after the shipment was delivered to a semi-rural plot in Jimboomba and stored in a large shed.

A Jimboomba man, 43, a Jimboomba man, 35, and a Buccan, 30, have each been charged with:

• Attempting to possess a commercial quantity of an illegally imported border controlled drug, namely methamphetamine, contrary to sections 307.5 and 11.1 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).

The maximum penalty for this offense is life imprisonment.

Testing by Canadian authorities reportedly found the liquid methamphetamine to have a purity level of 89 percent. The seized liquid methamphetamine will undergo further forensic testing by the AFP to confirm the purity of the shipment.

According to AFP Acting Commander Adrian Telfer, the negative impact of methamphetamine on the Australian community is well known.

“The cost to our society of 4 million hits of crystal meth cannot be overstated,” said A/Commander Telfer.

“If this amount of liquid methamphetamine was converted into crystal meth and sold into the Australian community, it would have led to domestic violence, assaults and contributed to road deaths, as well as lining the pockets of organised crime.

Acting Commander Telfer said the AFP’s international network was a vital weapon in the fight against transnational organised crime in Australia and around the world.

“Through this operation, the AFP, working with our partners in Canada, has prevented a significant amount of this illicit drug from reaching our communities and causing harm, and taking a significant bite out of the pockets of organised crime.

“I would like to thank our partners in Canada – the Canada Border Services Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police – for their invaluable assistance with this investigation.”

Nina Patel, Regional Director General of the Pacific Region of the Canada Border Services Agency, said: “The CBSA’s seizure of nearly 1,280 litres of liquid methamphetamine and the investigations by our partners are a testament to the collaboration between transnational law enforcement agencies to combat illicit drug trafficking.”

“We continue to work with the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Border Police and our partners at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to protect our communities from the harm caused by organised crime.”

RCMP Chief Superintendent Stephen Lee, Deputy Regional Commander, Pacific Region said: “This is another example of working closely with our international partners and maintaining strong relationships with law enforcement agencies around the world. Transnational crime knows no borders as we live in an increasingly global and interconnected world.”

“The RCMP looks beyond Canada’s borders and works closely with its international partners to disrupt international drug trafficking networks.”

Note to the media:

Media are encouraged to include help-seeking information in stories about illicit drugs to minimise negative impact on people in the community. The following services provide people with access to support and information.

• For free and confidential advice about alcohol and drug treatment, call the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015.
• Get free 24/7 online drug and alcohol education at www.counsellingonline.org.au.
• For information about drug and alcohol addiction treatment or support, visit www.turningpoint.org.au.