More than 28 kilograms of cocaine has been seized from a luxury bus held on a ship in South Australia.
Australian Border Force officers searched a bus aboard a “roll on roll off” vessel anchored at Outer Harbor, in the Port of Adelaide, on February 16.
Using videoscopes and detector dogs, a forensic search of the luxury bus uncovered several one-kilogram packages of a white powdered substance hidden behind a built-in TV.
The drugs were concealed behind a built-in television. (Australian Federal Police)
Officers used videoscopes and drug detector dogs to locate the parcels. (Australian Federal Police)
Police discovered a total of about 28 kilograms of the substance, which tested positive for cocaine.
Australian Federal Police officers seized the illicit drugs and started further investigations.
Had the drugs reached the Australian community, they would have had an estimated street value of about $9 million.
“Criminals are driven by their own greed and profit and will attempt any method to import harmful illicit substance into our country,” AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Simon Lalic said.
Police uncovered several one kilogram packages inside the bus. (Australian Federal Police)
“No matter how creative these criminals attempt to be, our message is clear – we are on to you.”
As many as 140,000 street-level deals could have occurred if authorities hadn’t intercepted the cocaine packages.
“Every detection of illicit drugs at the border reduces drug-related crimes in the Australian community and takes money out of the hands of international criminal syndicates,” Australian Border Force Superintendent Griswood said.
“I commend the highly skilled officers involved, who were vital to the detection of this large quantity of cocaine, thereby preventing significant community harm.”
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