Three men and one woman have been charged for their alleged roles in the suspected large-scale manufacture and supply of methamphetamine, following the discovery of two clandestine laboratories in western Sydney.
The four individuals were arrested on Friday (11 October, 2024) after AFP officers, with assistance from the NSW Police Tactical Operations Unit, executed five search warrants across suburbs in southwest and western Sydney.
The AFP began an investigation in September, 2024 after receiving a referral from the Australian Border Force (ABF) regarding the arrival at Sydney Airport of a dual Mexican-Colombian national with suspected links to organised crime.
The AFP will allege that while in Australia, the 53-year-old dual national prepared for the establishment of a clandestine laboratory.
He has been charged with manufacturing a controlled substance, namely methamphetamine, contrary to section 305.5(1) by virtue of section 11.2(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
It will be alleged the dual national met with a Greystanes man, 33, at a property in western Sydney on 28 September, 2024. In the days following, the 33-year-old man is alleged to have transported a container suspected to contain precursor chemicals to this western Sydney property.
AFP investigators yesterday (11 October, 2024) located a clandestine laboratory at the western Sydney property and a small cache of weapons, including an assault rifle.
Inquiries by the AFP have also allegedly identified the Greystanes man took suspected drug manufacturing materials into a Wentworthville storage facility he had rented.
When investigators searched the Greystanes man's home yesterday, they seized about $1 million in cash, 12kg of cocaine, 10kg of methamphetamine and a dedicated encrypted communications device.
The Greystanes man has been charged with:
- Two counts of manufacturing a controlled drug for a commercial purpose (methamphetamine), contrary to section 305.5 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth);
- Two counts of trafficking in commercial quantities of controlled drugs, contrary to section 302.2 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth); and
- One count of dealing with property suspected to be proceeds of crime, contrary to section 400.9(1AB) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
At a separate property in southwest Sydney, AFP officers located a man, 34, allegedly in the middle of a chemical extraction at a clandestine laboratory. Police allegedly found 120kg of methamphetamine at the property. A woman, 47, was also arrested at the property.
Both the man and woman were charged with manufacturing a controlled drug for a commercial purpose (methamphetamine) contrary to section 305.5 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
All four people are expected to appear before Parramatta Local Court today (12 October, 2024).
NSW Police Chemical Operations dismantled both clandestine laboratories.
AFP Detective Superintendent Kristie Cressy said Australian law enforcement was united in the fight against organised crime.
"Through our combined commitment to combatting organised crime, the AFP has stopped a production line of methamphetamine from hitting Australian streets," Detective Superintendent Cressy said.
"With the assistance of our partners, particularly ABF and NSW Police, we have prevented millions of dollars of drug profit flowing back into the syndicate to fund their next criminal venture.
"Criminal syndicates involved in drug manufacturing do not care about the harm they cause to Australian communities - they put our community at risk of violence for their own greed.
"The AFP is working tirelessly to make Australia a hostile environment to these criminal syndicates, to protect the Australian community."
ABF Director Border Intelligence Geoff Quinn said the ABF was incredibly proud of the dedication of Border Force officers to consistently improve ABF targeting methodologies, and counter major criminal activity.
"Officers are alert for individuals travelling to Australia with the sole purpose of committing crimes," Director Quinn said.
"Criminal tourism, including collecting imports of illicit drugs or manufacturing illicit drugs, is a threat we face every day, and we will work shoulder to shoulder with our law enforcement partners to end the practice."
