Australian police said they have broken an international drug smuggling ring today after seizing a record haul of ecstasy tablets following a four-month operation with Dutch authorities.
An estimated 750,000 tablets with a street value of more than Aus 45 million (€25.2 million ). A Canadian man (48), and two Australian men aged 52 and 56-years-of-age, all living in Sydney, were arrested following an extensive surveillance operation by a joint taskforce involving Dutch law enforcement authorities and two Australian police forces.
"The taskforce believe that those arrested are significant members of a major drug-trafficking syndicate," police commissioner for New South Wales state Mr Ken Moroney said in a statement.
"This seizure of ecstasy, which is about 100 kilograms (367 pounds) more than the previous largest ecstasy seizure, will have a major impact on the availability of the drug."
Federal agent Mr David Stewart said the investigation centered on the operations of an alleged international drug trafficking syndicate and involved extensive surveillance of its members' activities.
Mr Stewart told reporters the investigations were continuing in Australia and overseas and could lead to further arrests. He said the Netherlands, a primary producer of high-grade amphetamines, was being investigated as a possible source of the drugs.
Police said they believed the drugs were destined for the Sydney market.
AFP