AFP, Sydney, 10 Feb 2012 – Australian police said Friday they have smashed a ‘sophisticated’ drugs ring smuggling narcotics from Iran in fruit juice cartons, seizing Aus$25 million ($26.8 million) of heroin and ‘ice’.
New South Wales Organised Crime Squad arrested a 43-year-old Iranian-born man they believe was the head of a major drug distribution network after raiding the storage facilities of a Sydney food import business this week.
They found nearly 50 kilos (110 pounds) of heroin and more than 21 kilos of methamphetamine, commonly known as ‘ice’.
‘That’s a significant seizure, taking almost 250,000 deals of heroin and more than 200,000 deals of ice off the street,’ said Organised Crime Squad director Mal Lanyon.
‘I expect and I anticipate there will be further arrests made in relation to this matter.’
More than Aus$300,000 in cash, a large range of jewelry and valuable securities were also seized.
‘I think it would be very fair to say that it is a sophisticated syndicate that has been operating,’ Lanyon said.
Police said they expect to visit Sydney financial institutions where they suspect more cash and other proceeds of crime may be located in safe-deposit boxes.