Dramatic moment police arrest a man after seizing 336kg of heroin in second largest ever haul of the drug in Australia
- Largest heroin bust in Queensland history
- Dramatic video shows AFP arresting the man
Police vision reveals the dramatic moment a man was arrested in connection with Australia's second largest ever shipment of heroin as part of an operation targeting an international drug smuggling operation.
Authorities seized 336kg of heroin in a sting that uncovered the drugs hidden in a shipping container sent from Malaysia to the Port of Brisbane.
The haul was concealed inside two concrete blocks, each weighing about 500kg, and marked as solar panel accessories in a sea freight container addressed to an industrial lot in Brendale, north of Brisbane.
Border force officers uncovered the stash after the consignment docked on March 13, identifying hundreds of packages hidden within the cement block.
A Sydney man, who allegedly collected the consignment in Brisbane before it was transported to NSW, was arrested as part of a joint operation between Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force.
The 55-year-old man, from Auburn, has been charged with importing a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs. He is expected to face Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday.
The heroin has an estimated street value of $268.8million and is the largest amount of the drug ever seized in Queensland.
Authorities seized 960 drug packages from within the concrete blocks before tracking the shipment to Brendale.
A joint operation between the Australian Border Force and the Australian Federal Police has uncovered the second largest drug bust in the nations history - 336kg of heroin (pictured)
Police arrested a man outside a Mount Druitt shed (pictured) in Western Sydney, after they traced the shipment back to the location, where it was to be processed
Police allege the consignment was driven in a rental truck to Sydney before being delivered to an industrial shed in Mount Druitt on March 30.
The shipment remained under surveillance when the accused returned to the shed on Friday and allegedly used industrial tools to cut into the concrete to access the drugs.
AFP officers arrested him when he left the shed as authorities raided homes and businesses across NSW and Queensland, including at Brendale in Queensland and Mount Druitt, Blacktown, Auburn, Cecil Park and Constitution Hill in NSW.
Police confiscated more than $700,000 worth of jewellery from the Auburn man's home, while electronic devices, mobile phones, cash, hard drives and notebooks were also seized.
Alongside the heroin haul, police confiscated more than $700,000 worth of jewellery from the arrested man's home in Auburn (pictured)
AFP Commander John Tanti said the haul was a crushing blow to the smuggling operation.
'The AFP is committed to stopping criminals using the Pacific as a maritime drug highway and will continue to identify and disrupt transnational organised crime syndicates seeking to harm Australia and generate millions of dollars of profits from criminal activity,' he said
The investigation is ongoing.
Most watched News videos
- Scottish woman has temper tantrum at Nashville airport
- Tesla Cybertruck explodes in front of Trump hotel in Las Vegas
- Mass panic as New Orleans attacker flies down Bourbon street
- Shocking moment zookeeper is fatally mauled by lions in private zoo
- Horrific video shows aftermath of New Orleans truck 'attack'
- Meghan Markle celebrates new year in first Instagram video
- Tesla Cybertruck burns outside Trump hotel in Las Vegas
- See how truck that drove into crowd made it through police barrier
- Cheerful Melania Trump bops to YMCA at Mar-a-Lago NYE bash
- New Orleans terror attack suspect reveals background in video
- Plane passenger throws drink at flight attendant in boozy fight
- Horrifying moment yacht crashes into rocks and sinks off Mexico coast