CANBERRA, ACT, March 19 -- Australian Federal Police issued the following media release:
This is a joint media release between the Australian Federal Police, NSW Police Force and Australian Border Force
Editor's note:Vision and images of the arrest and seizure are available via Hightail.
A Blacktown manappeared before Blacktown Local Court yesterday(18March,2026) charged with attempting to possess20kg ofpuremethamphetaminehiddeninside wooden palletsin a shipping container.
An AFP investigation began inSeptember,2025, afterAustralian Border Force(ABF) officersintercepted20kgofpuremethamphetaminein a sea-cargo consignment from Malaysia,destined for Greenacre, NSW.
After selecting the consignment for examination, ABF officersx-rayed the container and discovered methamphetamine concealed within 25 packages in nine wooden pallets. The drugs were removed from the pallets and substituted with another material.
The AFPandNSW PoliceForceundertook a controlled delivery of the consignmentto a facility inthe Sydney suburb ofFairfieldon 16October,2025.
Police will allege the manattended the facility,took a photo of theconsignmentand sent it to a third party, and moved the wooden pallets into a truck.
It will beallegedhe laterremovedthe substituted material from the palletsandplacedit into garbage bags.
A search warrant was executed inBlacktownand twoelectronicdeviceswere seized.Asubsequentsearchofthe truck led to the recovery ofwooden pallets with protruding nails.
The man was chargedon 18March,2026,withone countofattemptingto possess a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border-controlled drug, namely methamphetamine, contrary to section 307.5 of theCriminal Code(Cth).
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The man was refused bailand will next appearin the Downing Centre Local Court on 13May,2026.
AFP DetectiveActingSuperintendent TrevorRobinsonsaid the AFP was committed to protecting Australians and working with partners to stop harmful drugs reaching the community.
"The AFP and its partners will chase down everylead and examine all evidence available to ensure alleged criminals do not benefit from their crimes," Deta/Supt Robinsonsaid.
"If sold, this amount of methamphetamine could have equated to 200,000 street level deals, and caused immense harm to users, their loved ones, and the community more broadly.
"We'reproud to have stopped drug profits going into the pockets of criminals."
NSW Police Force Detective State Crime Command's Drug and Firearms Squad Commander, Superintendent John Watson,said the joint effort between agencies to tackle this type of crime wasinherently important to protect the wider community.
"Drug syndicates are not restricted by borders, so it is vital that we show through these operations that law enforcement is not restricted either,"Supt Watson said.
"This arrest shows how effective operational partnerships can be when combatingorganiseddrug crime and working to reduce the rampant harm of illicit substances in the community.
"Alleged offenders like this will remain under the focus of both state and federal law enforcement, and I welcome the continued support of our partner agencies to enhance these investigations."
Acting ABF Superintendent Michael Ferguson said criminals continued to test the border with elaborate concealment methods, but they would not outsmart the ABF'sintelligence-led targeting and operational capabilities.
"Our officers are committed to staying one step ahead of criminal networks and protecting the community fromthe serious harm these substances cause," SuptFerguson said.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
