In a blockbuster cross-continental operation, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) have unmasked a mammoth drug-smuggling scheme originating from the United States. The AFP intercepted two large industrial drums, masking a menacing haul of 312kgs of liquid methamphetamine ensconced within, erroneously labelled as “vegetable fluid oil.”
Commencing in July, a meticulously conducted task named Operation Tallow was launched by American authorities who partnered with their Australian counterparts. The crux of the operation lay in tracking the consignment which ultimately led them to the bucolic landscapes of rural Victoria. The drums reposed unclaimed at an uninhabited property near Tooborac, a roughly hundred-kilometre journey up north from Melbourne, as of September 5.
The search frenzy amplified with warrants being executed in Melbourne and Brisbane, albeit with no arrests in sight yet. AFP’s Detective Superintendent Kristie Cressy has called upon the public to assist in the ongoing manhunt for the culprits.
In a plea for vigilance, Ms. Cressy stated, “With utmost certainty, we believe there are individuals within Australia who hold vital information about this import or may have witnessed unusual activity around the Tooborac vicinity in the past weeks.” She made a fervent appeal for anyone with related information to contact Crime Stoppers.
Accentuating the gravity of the issue was US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Regional Attaché Ernest Verina, extolling their collaboration with the AFP in addressing the global menace of drug-smuggling. He minced no words in condemning the recklessness of the criminals.
“Criminal outfits displaying such an audacious disregard for our community’s safety in their quest to peddle this lethal poison must be unequivocally held accountable,” Mr. Verina affirmed. He vowed a relentless push to throttle the supply of these dangerous narcotics and identify the miscreants behind this liquid meth smuggling, stressing the pivotal role the AFP-HSI partnership plays in this task.
