Australian authorities found 1.8 metric tons (two short tons) of methamphetamine hidden in marble tiles shipped from the Middle East to Sydney, in what police described as the largest seizure of the drug in the country’s history.
Three men were arrested after 748 kilos (1,649 pounds) of drugs were found hidden in 24 containers that arrived at Port Botany earlier this month, authorities said Friday.
Another 1,060 kilos (2,337 pounds) of methamphetamine were later found in 19 containers that arrived at the same port last week. The drug had been concealed using the same method and was shipped entirely from the United Arab Emirates.
Police estimate the street value of the methamphetamine had reached 1.6 billion Australian dollars ($1.1 billion).
Since last week’s seizure, no further arrests have been made. Investigators have focused their attention on identifying foreign suppliers.
All the containers were destined for a factory in western Sydney that had been set up to rapidly extract methamphetamine from marble, according to authorities. Police do not know how often the facilities were used.