A violent Mexican cartel is one of several targeting Australia's drug market, say local and global police who busted a record $1 billion haul of ice headed to the country.
The drugs were found concealed inside dozens of metal boxes that were declared as "Single Loud Speakers".
It's not only the largest ever seizure of methylamphetamine bound for Australia, it's also a record domestic seizure of the drug in the USA.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said 1,728 kilograms of the drug was seized mid-January at the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex along with smaller amounts of cocaine and heroin. If it had made it to Australian streets, it's estimated to be worth approximately $1.29 billion dollars and equates to some 17 million hits. The Americans were identified by Australian police as a 52-year-old man and 46-year-old woman living in Woodstock, Victoria.
In 2015, Australia's government established a national taskforce to tackle the growing use of crystal methamphetamine (dubbed "ice"), which has become the most common illicit drug in the country.
Officers from the Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police yesterday arrested six people in Victoria and NSW.
Commissioner Hill said police believe Mexican cartels are targeting the country, but the identities of the cartels have not been disclosed. -Australian operation had stopped "a tsunami of ice" from reaching Australia. They've been sending smaller amounts over the years.
"We've got money, and we're willing to pay more for our drugs than anywhere else in the world".
Police believe the Mexican cartel has links to Australian-based outlaw bikie gangs but would not give further detail.
Jason Halls, Victoria manager for the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, said the drugs would have had an "immeasurable" impact on the Australian community.
Search warrants were also carried out by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in British Columbia where a significant quantity of suspected proceeds of crime were seized.
Three fronted court on Friday on charges including attempted drug importation and possession.
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