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Queensland Police
# Drug seizures
Four UK men arrested as Aussie police seize €55 million worth of 'highest purity recorded' MDMA
Police say the powder was destined to be processed into 12 million ecstasy pills to be sold across Australia.
POLICE IN QUEENSLAND have announced the arrest of six people, including four Britons, following one of the Australia’s largest ever drug seizures.
A total of 766kg of highly pure MDMA powder was seized by officers in an operation targeting a UK organised crime gang. The huge haul had an estimated value of $90 million (€54.7 million).
The seized powder is the highest purity recorded in Queensland and police believe it was en route to be processed into up to 12 million ecstasy pills and capsules to be sold across Australia.
Officers arrested two UK citizens in Queensland, one man aged 51 and another aged 40, as well as a 26-year-old Australian man.
As part of the same operation, two other British men, aged 60 and 49, were arrested by police in New Zealand last week after 200kg of methamphetamine was seized.
A 51-year-old Australian woman was also arrested in New South Wales in connection with the seizure of approximately A$108,000 (€65,630) in cash.
“We believe the drug would have been diluted with other agents and had the potential to make between six and 12 million capsules. This has a conservative value of $90 million (€54.7 million),” Detective Superintendent Jon Wacker of the State Crime Command’s Drug and Serious Crime Group said.
“Organised crime syndicates are making significant profit at the expense of our Australian community but more importantly they are placing our young people’s health at risk,” he added.
Katie Willis from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission said removing 766kg of MDMA from Australia’s streets would have an “immeasurable impact” on the illicit MDMA market.
