SYDNEY, Apr 4 (NNN-AAP) – An eighth man has been found guilty, in connection to a smuggling case in 2017, involving methamphetamine worth 1.12 billion Australian dollars (about 0.81 billion U.S. dollars), the then biggest ever methamphetamine seizure in Australia.
The verdict was issued by the Western Australia (WA) Supreme Court yesterday, against a 53-year-old man, who was accused of coordinating the collection of 1.2 tonnes of illicit drugs from a “mothership” in international waters.
Eight men from two states have now been found guilty in the case, including two members of the boat crew, three members of the offshore party and three men considered to be “high-level Australian facilitators,” whilst a ninth man was acquitted and a tenth man had his charge withdrawn.
Australian Federal Police (AFP) Assistant Commissioner, Pryce Scanlan said, the large-scale drug trafficking involved multiple criminal groups in the states of New South Wales and South Australia, as well as, international outlaw motorcycle gangs and triad criminal groups.
“Methamphetamine continues to ravage our communities and remains the drug of most concern to Australian law enforcement,” Scanlan said.
In a joint operation carried out in Jul, 2017, a cruiser was intercepted as it attempted to enter Geraldton jetty with 59 bags containing methamphetamine.
