More than 1,600 people have been arrested and $93 million worth of drugs seized in a police crackdown on drug trafficking.
The huge haul of drugs and cash was seized by officers across Australia and New Zealand during Operation Vitreus from 19 to 23 August.
During the operation, which lasted a week, a total of 528 house searches were carried out in both countries.
Nearly 1,400 kilograms of illegal drugs and more than 2,500 cannabis plants were seized, with a street value of approximately $93 million, along with 71 firearms and $2.2 million in cash.
During the week, more than 2,900 charges were filed and 1,611 people were arrested by police on suspicion of drug use.
South Australia police have arrested a 26-year-old man at an address in Adelaide on charges of possessing more than 1,100 LSD tablets as part of a crackdown.
Victoria police have reportedly found six kilograms of drugs that appeared to be MDMA in the suitcases of a man and a woman.
The pair were stopped as they tried to board a ferry in Tasmania.
Police in Australia and New Zealand have seized almost 1,400 kilograms of illegal drugs (pictured) as part of the joint taskforce
Operation Vitreus involved the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.
Meanwhile, Australian Capital Territory police seized more than 1,000 cannabis plants and approximately 280 grams of cocaine as part of the operation.
Agents also found 42 kilograms of dried cannabis material, valued at approximately $3.1 million.
A Canadian citizen was also arrested at Sydney airport when he allegedly attempted to import approximately 15kg of methylamphetamine into Australia.
Police arrested 1,611 people and filed more than 2,900 charges as part of Operation Vitreus (Photo: Drug paraphernalia seized by police)
Police also seized more than 2,500 cannabis plants with a street value of approximately $93 million (pictured)
The operation follows a recent report by the Criminal Intelligence Commission, which concluded that Australia has the second highest per capita use of methylamphetamine in the world.
This devastating finding was made after a comparison with 29 other countries.
Australia ranks 20th out of 32 countries in cocaine consumption and 15th out of 33 countries in MDMA consumption.
Australia is also the third largest consumer of cannabis out of twenty countries.
Cannabis and methylamphetamine are more commonly used in Australia than any other illegal drug.
The large-scale police operations (pictured) follow a recent report by the Criminal Intelligence Commission, which found Australia has the second highest per capita use of methylamphetamine in the world.
“The harm caused by drug use can directly and indirectly impact all Australian families and individuals,” said Federal Police Commander Paula Hudson.
‘The consequences range from health, social to economic damage.’
Methamphetamine remains the greatest illicit drug threat to the Australian community, adding $5 billion to health care costs each year.