Detectives from the Victorian Joint Organised Crime Taskforce (JOCTF) have charged a third man as part of their investigation into a Melbourne-based Chinese/Taiwanese syndicate suspected of importing border-controlled drugs.
The 36-year-old Punchbowl, NSW man was arrested by members of New South Wales Police Force in Punchbowl on Wednesday morning (28 August).
His extradition was approved by Bankstown Local Court that afternoon.
He arrived in Melbourne Thursday afternoon (29 August) and was subsequently charged with the Commonwealth offence of possess commercial quantity border controlled drug.
He was remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates' Court on 18 October.
This week's activity follows the arrest of two men - a 33-year-old from Burwood and a 33-year-old from Ferntree Gully - on September 5 last year.
They were both charged with the Commonwealth offences of importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug and possess a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug.
Police allege the men are linked to an importation of 78kg of methamphetamine hidden inside a shipment of surfboards, which arrived into Melbourne via air cargo from Los Angeles, USA, on 11 August, 2023.
Australian Border Force (ABF) officers identified anomalies in the consignment during an x-ray screening and reported the matter to the AFP.
The AFP found a white crystalline substance concealed within resin inside 12 surfboards. Forensic testing of the substance returned a positive result for methamphetamine.
The AFP replaced the illicit drugs with an inert substance and facilitated a controlled delivery to a storage unit in Dandenong South on 23 August, 2023.
The Burwood man and a NSW man collected the consignment from the storage unit on Friday, 25 August, 2023.
The NSW man then loaded the 12 surfboards into a vehicle and drove them to his house in the Sydney suburb of Punchbowl.
Anyone with information on illicit drug activity is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
