Massive $77 million drug haul at Jandakot
WA police have seized a massive methylamphetamine and ecstasy haul worth nearly $80 million after searching a plane which flew from New South Wales into Perth's Jandakot Airport.
The 22.5kg haul of methylamphetamine is the largest ever seizure of the drug by WA police.
The drugs were hidden in a storage compartment on aboard a twin engine Piper Aztec which flew into Jandakot Airport yesterday afternoon.
Police have arrested and charged the pilot and passenger with serious drug-related offences.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Paul Coombes, of the police specialist crime unit, said the seizure would have a significant impact on the availability of the drugs in Perth.
He refused to say if police suspected the two charged men were working alone or were part of an organised crime network but he said the investigation was ongoing.
"This is a significant seizure,'' he said.
"We are very happy with this and the impact it will have on the illicit drug market.''
Organised Crime Squad and State Security Investigation Group officers the plane with two people on board which left from New South Wales on Tuesday and arrived at Jandakot around 5pm yesterday.
Detectives searched the twin engine aircraft and found a bag allegedly containing 22kg of methylamphetamine and 8.85kg of ecstasy (approximately 35,000 tablets).
The NSW pilot of the plane and his 24-year-old passenger were both interviewed at the Organised Crime Squad offices and each was charged with possession of methylamphetamine with intent to sell or supply and Possession of MDMA (ecstasy) with intent to sell or supply.
Both men were due to appear in the Perth Magistrate’s Court today.
The approximate street value of the methylamphetamine seized by police is conservatively estimated at $75 million, while the street value of the 35,000 MDMA tablets is around $1.8 million.
The 37-year-old pilot is the owner of the $130,000 plane which has been seized under Proceeds of Crime legislation.
Organised Crime Squad officers are continuing their inquires with assistance from NSW police to determine the origin and the intended Perth destination of the drugs.
Securing regional and remote airports and identifying connected security and crime issues and light aircraft movements remain a significant focus of the State Security Investigation Group,
Organised Crime Squad, Regional Police Districts and other state and federal agencies.
In the past year the Organised Crime Squad has seized in excess of 70kg of methylamphetamine and other synthetic drugs.
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,23329252-948,00.html
^^
it's hard to tell from the photo included in this article, but some of those containers are chock-full of chunky fat white pills (saw this on the news when i was waitin for my pizza in the shop)
looks a lot like the white hearts which are all over the place at the moment.