Australian police seize record A$1 billion methamphetamine haul
A quantity of liquid methamphetamine disguised in various packaging is put on display by Australian Border Force officers at the Australian Federal Police headquarters in Sydney, February 15, 2016. Australian authorities said on Monday they had seized A$1.25 billion ($890.5 million) worth of liquid methamphetamine, or "ice", their largest haul of illicit drugs in two years. REUTERS/Jason Reed
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian police said on Friday they had seized a record 1.2 tonnes of methamphetamine with a street value of more than A$1 billion ($771 million) after a raid in a remote area of the west Australian coast.
Eight Australian men were charged with offences carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, police in Western Australia state said in a statement.
A supplied image from the Australian Federal Police shows the alleged record haul of 1.2 tonnes of methamphetamine that was seized at the Port of Geraldton, located north of the city of Perth in Western Australia, December 21, 2017. Picture taken December 21, 2017. Australian Federal Police/Handout via REUTERS
"We are striking at the top end of drug trafficking before it gets further down the distribution chain," Western Australia Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said.
The drugs were collected from a ship called the Valkoista, police said, and were then offloaded into a white hire van at a dock in Geraldton, about 375 km (230 miles) north of the Western Australia capital, Perth.
Tactical police intercepted the van as it reversed away from the dock.
Journalists capture images of a quantity of liquid methamphetamine put on display by Australian Border Force officers (R) at the Australian Federal Police headquarters in Sydney, February 15, 2016. Australian authorities said on Monday they had seized A$1.25 billion ($890.5 million) worth of liquid methamphetamine, or "ice", their largest haul of illicit drugs in two years. REUTERS/Jason Reed
Police arrested the van's three occupants, all from the eastern Australian state of New South Wales. Three others were arrested on the Valkoista and the remaining two were charged in Perth.
Police said they suspected the drugs were destined for Australia's more populous east coast.
Authorities speak at a news conference where a quantity of seized liquid methamphetamine were put on display at the Australian Federal Police headquarters in Sydney, February 15, 2016. Australian authorities said on Monday they had seized A$1.25 billion ($890.5 million) worth of liquid methamphetamine, or "ice", their largest haul of illicit drugs in two years.REUTERS/Jason Reed
(Reporting by Elouise Fowler in SYDNEY; Editing by Jonathan Barrett and Paul Tait)
A supplied image from the Australian Federal Police shows three people who were arrested with an alleged record haul of 1.2 tonnes of methamphetamine at the Port of Geraldton, located north of the city of Perth in Western Australia, December 21, 2017. Picture taken December 21, 2017. Australian Federal Police/Handout via REUTERS A supplied image from the Australian Federal Police shows the alleged record haul of 1.2 tonnes of methamphetamine that was seized at the Port of Geraldton, located north of the city of Perth in Western Australia, December 21, 2017. Picture taken December 21, 2017. Australian Federal Police/Handout via REUTERS Authorities speak at a news conference where a quantity of seized liquid methamphetamine were put on display at the Australian Federal Police headquarters in Sydney, February 15, 2016. Australian authorities said on Monday they had seized A$1.25 billion ($890.5 million) worth of liquid methamphetamine, or "ice", their largest haul of illicit drugs in two years.REUTERS/Jason ReedA supplied image from the Australian Federal Police shows three people who were arrested with an alleged record haul of 1.2 tonnes of methamphetamine at the Port of Geraldton, located north of the city of Perth in Western Australia, December 21, 2017. Picture taken December 21, 2017. Australian Federal Police/Handout via REUTERS
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