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4 months ago
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An interstate crime syndicate has been smashed after cops allegedly discovered $11million worth of drugs hiding in secret compartments in sedans.
The 55kg haul of cocaine, MDMA and meth was allegedly found in several Toyota Camrys that had been transported on tray trucks from Sydney to Melbourne.
Australian Federal Police also allegedly uncovered $1million in cash.
The items were found in purpose-built hides that had been set up ion the back seats of the sedans.
Officers searched several properties including a house at Deer Park, Niddrie and Maribyrnong in Victoria and a car in Wagga Wagga, NSW, on June 25.
Police allegedly found illicit drugs, including 22kg of cocaine, 3kg of MDMA, 1kg of methamphetamine and some cash.
Two loaded firearms were also allegedly discovered.
A Niddrie man, 23, was arrested at Deer Park and a 20-year-old man from NSW was handcuffed at Maribyrnong.
Police allege a fleet of Toyota Camrys were used to smuggle drugs between Sydney and Melbourne. The Camrys had secret compartments behind the rear seats (pictured)
The AFP will allege more than $1 million of suspected criminal proceeds were located and seized in the flooring of a van (pictured) at Airport West, on May 16 2024
The men were each charged with one count of trafficking a commercial quantity of controlled drug and one count of possession.
The Niddrie man was also charged with one count of possess a traffickable quantity of firearms.
A third man allegedly linked to the organised crime syndicate was also identified by police.
A Craigieburn, Victoria property was then searched and electronic devices were seized before arresting a 23-year-old man.
The AFP will allege the man was responsible for 25kg of methamphetamine, 5kg of cocaine.
More than $1 million of suspected criminal proceeds were allegedly seized from the flooring of a van at Airport West, on May 16 2024.
He was charged with two counts of possessing drugs, two counts of trafficking, as well as dealing with the proceeds of crime that is worth more than $1m.
Drugs that were allegedly smuggled in the Camrys (pictured) totalled 55kgs and worth $11m. Officers also found and seized $1m from the compartments
In subsequent searches, two loaded hand guns were found (pictured)
The three men have been remanded in custody and are scheduled to reappear in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on October 29, 2024.
The maximum penalty the men could be handed is life imprisonment.
AFP Detective Superintendent Simone Butcher said it is suspected the Camrys had secret compartments to conceal drugs from authorities and evade detection.
'Organised criminal syndicates will continue to evolve and devise creative new concealment methods to avoid detection from law enforcement,' she said.
'Our message to criminals is clear: your efforts will fail and the AFP is always one step ahead of your plans.
'I would like to thank the AFP officers involved in the investigation and highlight their relentless efforts to disrupt criminal syndicates causing Australians immense harm through the vile drug trade.
'The amount of illicit drugs seized from this syndicate had an estimated street value of more than $11 million and had the potential to facilitate more than 37,500 individual street deals, if it had reached Australian streets.'
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