Photo: NSW Police Force
An Australian man was allegedly caught with $140 million worth of methamphetamine hidden in his van after crashing into a parked police car, police say.
The 28-year-old, whose name was not released, crashed into the police car that was parked outside of a Sydney police station Tuesday, which caused significant damage, according to a police statement posted on theFacebook page of the New South Wales Police Force.
That’s when police allege they discovered several hidden boxes containing 273 kilograms, or 600 pounds, of methamphetamine.
Australian police estimate the drugs to be worth more than $200 million Australian dollars, or $140 million USD.
The man was charged with large commercial drug supply as well as negligent driving, while police continue to conduct a forensic investigation of the van.
It was not immediately clear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney to comment on his behalf.
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As big as Tuesday’s bust was, it was minuscule compared to one last month, when Australian authorities seized the largest onshore methamphetamine haul in the country’s history after finding 1.6 tons of the drug stowed away inside a shipment of stereo speakers originating from Thailand,CNN reports.
The record-breaking drug seizure led to an estimated $1.2 billion Australian dollars worth of drugs off the streets, which translates to $837 million USD. Thirty-seven kilograms of heroin was found alongside the meth during that bust.
Meanwhile, authorities in the United States discovered a billion dollars’ worth of methamphetamine hidden inside electronic equipment headed for Australia in January, which remains the largest seizure of the drug in American history, CNN reports.
source: people.com
