Within 24 hours, a methamphetamine and cocaine haul weighing more than 100kg and with a street value of approximately $80 million was reportedly seized across the country.
Four alleged drug mules were arrested in three separate incidents at Melbourne and Sydney airports on Monday and Tuesday.
A 33-year-old from Britain was arrested in Melbourne after allegedly arriving from Mexico with 12 blocks of white substance wrapped in carbon paper on Tuesday.
The Australian Border Force (ABF) said the parcels found in her suitcase weighed 26kg and preliminary tests indicated a positive result for cocaine.
In Sydney, 25 packets of white powder were reportedly found in the pockets of a 38-year-old man with dual citizenship of Britain and Northern Ireland who arrived from Thailand on the same day.
ABF confirmed preliminary testing of the 1kg packages returned a positive result for methamphetamine.
On Monday, a NSW woman, 21, and a New Zealand woman, 23, are said to have arrived in Sydney from Singapore with 52 packets of white powder in their luggage.
ABF said the 1kg packs were labeled as Chinese tea, but that was also the case in preliminary testing indicated a positive result for methamphetamine.
Four alleged drug mules were arrested in three incidents in Melbourne and Sydney over 24 hours on Monday and Tuesday, the Australian Border Force has revealed
In Sydney, officers are said to have found 25 packets of powder that tested positive for meth in the bags of a 38-year-old man with dual citizenship of Britain and Northern Ireland who arrived from Thailand on Tuesday.
AFP Chief Inspector Morgen Blunden said officers were “closely monitoring the increase in the number of drug mules”, amid a recent rise in the number of suspected drug mules.
“If 77kg of methamphetamine and 26kg of cocaine had reached our streets, it had the potential to facilitate more than 900,000 individual street deals,” he said.
“This quantity of drugs had a combined estimated street value of over $80 million and could cause tens of millions of dollars in harm to the Australian community.
“These arrests should serve as a stark warning to drug couriers trying to smuggle illegal drugs into Australia. However you choose to transport your drugs, the AFP, along with our colleagues at ABF, will be waiting for you.”
Acting AFB trip commander Graeme Campbell said the quantity of drugs seized was ‘immense’.
A NSW woman, 21, and a New Zealand woman, 23, are believed to have arrived in Sydney from Singapore on Monday with 52 packets of white powder labeled Chinese tea in their luggage.
Australian Federal Police Chief Inspector Morgen Blunden said officers were ‘closely monitoring the increase in the number of drug mules’, amid a rise in the number of suspected drug mules in recent months
The British woman was charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug and possession of a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug.
Both charges carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The 38-year-old dual national was also charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug.
The 21-year-old NSW woman and the 23-year-old New Zealand woman were each charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug.