A Cranbourne man has been arrested after more than 300 kilograms of liquid MDMA hidden in a consignment of French wine bottles was seized by authorities on Saturday 8 October.
Detectives from the Victoria Joint Organised Crime Taskforce (VJOCT) arrested a 21-year-old from Cranbourne and a 25-year-old man from Roxburgh Park in connection to the alleged attempted plot to import the illicit drugs.
Both men were expected to face the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Sunday 9 October, charged with the attempted possession of a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border-controlled drug, with a potential maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The investigation was launched in September after ABF officers in Melbourne examined an air cargo consignment of bottles of wine labelled as 2016 Bordeaux sent from France.
Officers identified the presence of a viscous liquid inside 270 bottles of wine, with subsequent forensic testing allegedly confirming the presence of liquid MDMA, worth tens of millions of dollars, police said.
The drugs were removed and investigators from the AFP, Victoria Police, ABF and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission tracked the consignment as it was delivered to a self-storage facility on Wednesday 5 October.
The Cranbourne man was allegedly later identified checking the consignment.
Police executed search warrants at three properties in Cranbourne, Hallam and Roxburgh Park on Saturday and seized various items, including wine bottles.
The two men were subsequently arrested and charged.
AFP Detective Inspector Mark McKiernan said organised crime syndicates would use a variety of methods to try to smuggle large amounts of illicit drugs into Australia without detection because it was such a lucrative business.
“This seizure shows that Victoria – and Australia – is not an easy target,” Mr McKiernan said.
“The AFP is working closely with our partners to disrupt these criminal supply chains and intercept illicit drugs before they can cause harm in the community.
“We have also stopped those involved in the plot from accessing the millions of dollars in potential profits, which could have been used to fund future drug trafficking or other criminal ventures.
“The AFP will use its international network to identify those involved offshore, as well as the local members of this criminal syndicate.”
Victoria Police Detective Inspector Dan Ryan said the persistent work of the JOCTF led to this arrest and should serve as a serious warning to criminals who attempt to target our community.
“We’ve made no secret of the fact Victoria Police is determined to make our state a hostile place for organised crime, especially those engaged in the importation and manufacture of drugs,” Mr Ryan said.
“To be able to make these arrests and seizures highlights the continued local demand there is for a range of drugs. Ultimately, we really need to challenge attitudes around the use of illicit drugs in the community.
“We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure those who bring harm to our state are held to account, and that these criminal syndicates are strongly and deliberately targeted.”
ABF Superintendent Aviation Goods Tori Rosemond said the dedication and expert knowledge of border officers continued to result in major disruptions to the supply of drugs into our community.
“No matter how well criminal actors think they hide these types of drugs, ABF officers have the technical expertise and valuable intelligence information, and will stop them at the border,” Supt Rosemond said.
“I am extremely proud of my team for this detection and exemplifying what it means to protect our borders.
“We continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure we keep the Australian community safe from the importation of dangerous drugs.”
Inquiries are ongoing to identify everyone involved in the attempted importation.
