Australian police find meth worth $1bn in bra inserts

Australian police have seized more than AUD 1 billion (Rs 48 thousand crore) in crystal methamphetamine, or ice, some concealed in gel bra inserts in one of the country's biggest drug busts, authorities said yesterday

Sydney: Australian police have seized more than AUD 1 billion (Rs 48 thousand crore) in crystal methamphetamine, or ice, some concealed in gel bra inserts in one of the country's biggest drug busts, authorities said yesterday.

Gel bra inserts (foreground) containing concealed crystal methamphetamine at the Australian Federal Police headquarters in Sydney. PIC/AFP

Three Hong Kong nationals and a Chinese national were arrested during the operation which Justice Minister Michael Keenan described as the largest seizure of liquid methamphetamine in Australian history. "This has resulted in 3.6 million individual hits of ice being taken off our streets with a street value of AUD 1.26 billion," he said.

Australian Federal Police Commander Chris Sheehan said the joint operation with Chinese authorities began in December 2015 when the Australian Border Force examined a shipping container out of Hong Kong in Sydney. It originated in Mainland China. "That shipping container was found to contain gel bra inserts and hidden inside those gel bra inserts was 190 litres of liquid methamphetamine," he said.

The seizure was referred to the Australian Federal Police who began an investigation which traced an additional 530 litres of liquid meth to five storage units in Sydney where they were found inside art supplies.

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