Vic: Ecstasy seizure largest in Victoria
MELBOURNE, Aug 20 AAP - More than 200,000 ecstasy tablets with a street value of upto $10 million were seized by police in the biggest haul of its kind in Victoria, federalpolice said today.
The 54 kilograms of ecstasy was allegedly detected hidden in a pool filter box on acontainer ship at the Melbourne docks on July 21, federal Justice and Customs MinisterChris Ellison said.
A 36-year-old Melbourne man was arrested last night and was due to appear in MelbourneMagistrates Court today, charged with possessing a trafficable quantity of ecstasy, attemptingto possess a commercial quantity of a prohibited import, and aiding and abetting the importationof a prohibited import.
Senator Ellison said the Australian Federal Police mounted a major surveillance operationafter the drugs were found on the container ship, which was alleged to have originatedin The Netherlands.
"This is the largest seizure of MDMA (ecstasy) ever made in Victoria," Senator Ellison said.
"Although the final purity is yet to be confirmed, the seizure comprises some 216,000MDMA tablets that have been prevented from reaching Australian streets."
Based on street-level prices, the ecstasy had a potential street value of up to $10.8 million.
The seizure was the fifth-largest in Australia for ecstasy.
"This sends a very clear message to anyone who is intending to import illicit drugsto Australia that they will be caught and if they are caught they will be charged withserious offences," he said.
AAP lmw/gfr/jmd/de
KEYWORD: ECSTASY
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