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Eight arrested after 275 kilograms of 'ice' seized in Australian drug bust

Xinhua, July 4, 2016 Adjust font size:

Eight people have been charged over the seizure of 275 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, or ice', found in the Australian city of Melbourne on Monday, in what is one of the nation's biggest drug busts.

One Malaysian and seven Australian men have been charged with drug offences after authorities discovered the ice' hidden under floorboards in three shipping containers.

Police were able to execute the drug bust after monitoring the delivery of the shipping containers to a Melbourne factory.

The drug bust was the result of a four-month investigation into a Melbourne drug importation gang by the Victoria Joint Organised Crime Task Force, Australian Customs and officers from both the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Victoria Police.

According to police, the drugs have a street value of 206 million U.S. dollars.

Police said the accused men, all aged between 24 and 34, were charged with drug importation and trafficking offences.

AFP Assistant Commissioner Ian McCartney said "following the money trail" was the key to tracking down the group.

"This was smart policing. Proactive intelligence targeting, identifying international money flows, we were able to identify the syndicate," McCartney said at a Melbourne press conference on Monday. Enditem