Australian police bust $828M meth smuggling operation from USA

Australian police have detained a 31-year-old resident of Zimbabwe who smuggled nearly a ton of methamphetamine from the USA, worth $828 million. He faces a life sentence. The drugs were carefully packed in 9 million parcels.

In Australia, law enforcement has detained a 31-year-old citizen of Zimbabwe suspected of smuggling nearly one ton of methamphetamine from the United States. The value of the smuggled drugs is estimated at an astronomical sum of $828 million. If found guilty, the man faces a life sentence in prison.

The arrest occurred after Australian police discovered over 2,000 pounds of drugs hidden in industrial machinery that had been imported from the United States to Sydney. The drugs were carefully packed in 9 million parcels, which, according to police, were intended for the east coast market of Australia.

Information about the suspect smuggler reached Australian authorities from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The American agency noticed frequent purchases of digital machines in the USA by a small furniture store located in Sydney. After conducting an investigation, it was found that these transactions were used for drug smuggling through the "piggybacking" method. This method involves using the distribution network of companies with an established import history. In this case, the ordering party was a drug cartel.

Detective Peter Fogarty, an inspector with the Australian Federal Police, emphasized in an interview with the media that the arrest of the Zimbabwean citizen would have a significant impact on the drug trade in New South Wales. "Methamphetamine is the second most commonly used drug in Australia, and its impact can be felt across the community, in our homes and hospitals," said Fogarty.

A report from the Australian Institute of Health from 2021–2022 shows that the problem of methamphetamine use is serious. On average, 27 people per day were hospitalized due to issues related to this drug.