Australian authorities working with their Dutch counterparts have stopped some 850kg of crystalline MDMA and 548 litres of MDMA oil from reaching our shores in the largest single seizure of MDMA involving Australian law enforcement in history.
With an estimated street value of $301.6 million this quantity of drugs had the potential to be processed into 15 million tablets.
The Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton said the operation highlighted the importance of agencies working closely together as well as the complexity of the threat serious organised crime poses to everyday Australians.
“As a result of close cooperation between our Commonwealth, State and international agencies, this operation has prevented a very significant amount of illicit drugs from reaching our streets – drugs that would have had a devastating impact on Australian lives and families,” Mr Dutton said.
“Drug abuse destroys lives and families, and this investigation highlights the organised, well-financed nature of these criminal networks who seek to do harm to our communities.
Transnational organised crime impacts our safety and security, and our Australian way of life. The success of the operation with the National Police of the Netherlands shows the close ties Australian authorities have with international law enforcement partners.
“When our agencies work together – both domestically and internationally – we help ensure Australia is safer and more secure,” Mr Dutton said.
“Today we are sending a clear message to serious crime networks: Australian law enforcement will not stop, and Australia is not open for business with organised crime.”
The 10 month operation involved staff from the Queensland Joint Organised Crime Task Force, which includes members of the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Queensland Police Service (QPS), Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC), Australian Border Force (ABF), Australian Taxation Office (ATO), and Australian Transaction Reporting and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC).
Prosecutions are now underway in the Netherlands and here in Australia.
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