Two men whose attempt to import 622kg of methamphetamine into Australia hidden inside a shipment of toilet paper was thwarted by law enforcement, were on Thursday 12 December, 2024 sentenced to a combined maximum of 16 years and six months' imprisonment.
The County Court of Victoria sentenced one of the men, a Hong Kong national, now aged 33, to 11 years' imprisonment with a non-parole period of seven years and six months. His co-accused, a Malaysian national now aged 31, was sentenced to five years and six months' imprisonment with a non-parole period of three years.
The pair pleaded guilty in July and October 2024, respectively, for attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drugs, contrary to section 307.5(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
The pair, alongside two others, were arrested in Melbourne in October 2023 during Operation Improcco, a multi-agency investigation led by the Victorian Joint Organised Crime Taskforce (VIC JOCTF), comprising members from the AFP, Victoria Police and Australian Border Force (ABF).
The VIC JOCTF arrested the four men on 11 October, 2023, as part of a collaborative law enforcement investigation into a criminal syndicate suspected of importing border-controlled drugs.
The court heard the men performed various roles in connection with the 622kg methamphetamine importation, which arrived in Melbourne via sea cargo from Malaysia on 4 October, 2023.
The investigation began when ABF officers identified anomalies in a consignment during an x-ray screening and reported the matter to the AFP.
On 4 October 2023, the VIC JOCTF and AFP Forensics officers located and seized 622 green and gold tea packages inside the shipment, each weighing 1kg, containing a white crystalline substance. They were further concealed within a pallet of toilet paper.
At the time of the seizure in 2023, this quantity of methamphetamine was the equivalent of more than 6.2 million individual street deals and could have been sold for an estimated $559.8 million.
The Hong Kong national was arrested at Melbourne Airport as he attempted to board a flight to leave Australia and the Malaysian national was arrested at a property in Sunshine North.
Two arrested Chinese nationals remain before the courts in relation to the investigation and will face trial next year.
AFP Detective Superintendent Jason McArthur said the AFP and its partners were determined to stop illicit substances from entering the country.
"Criminals will go to great lengths to smuggle drugs into Australia, with no regard to the harm they cause to Australian communities," Det-Supt McArthur said.
"Operation Improcco spared Australians from the violence, addiction and further criminality this shipment of methamphetamine would have brought to our shores.
"To anyone lured in by the false promise of shallow riches from drug importations - these offences carry the potential of life in jail. You are up against a well-resourced, capable and unrelenting opposition in the AFP and our partners. We will continue to deploy cutting edge technology, intelligence and partnerships to ensure you get your day in court."
"We thank our JOCTF partners for working together closely to disrupt this criminal operation."
Victoria Police Detective Superintendent Dave Cowan, Organised Crime Division, said this result was a reminder to organised crime groups that Victoria Police remained focused on stopping illicit drugs from ending up in the community.
"The use of methylamphetamine per capita in Australia remains high, and the devastating and tragic damage caused by its use ripples throughout the community," Det Supt Cowan said.
"Victoria is no different and the harm this drug inflicts on the community has the potential to have significant and life changing impacts on a range of innocent parties.
"Our work does not stop with this result and we will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to chase up every avenue of enquiry possible and disrupt the importation of illicit drugs into Victoria."
ABF Acting Commander Ben Michalke said the conviction is meaningful as it displays the ability of all partner agencies and taskforces to work together to thwart criminal syndicates and their nefarious activities.
"This gargantuan shipment of methylamphetamine into Melbourne had the potential to devastate many lives, as well as to proliferate the world of organised crime", Acting Commander Michalke said.
"Our officers are highly skilled in making detections at the border, and we continue to work closely with our partners, sharing intelligence, and recording success in dismantling criminal networks".
*Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report.
