JARS of pickles were used as cover by alleged drug smugglers in an attempt to import 115 kilos of methamphetamine, police say.
Two men from Sydney and Melbourne have been charged while another man has been arrested in the Canadian province of British Columbia.
The joint operation by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) was codenamed Operation Prythian.
According to the AFP, investigators allegedly identified the two Australian-based men as being involved in importing illicit drugs from Canada, with a shipment identified by Canadian authorities in January of this year.
Canadian authorities identified and then intercepted the outbound shipment, officers discovering the alleged drugs in the pickle jars.
Forensic analysis confirmed it as methamphetamine, the quantity equating to an Australian street value of AUD$106.3 million.
The illicit drugs were substituted in Canada with an inert substance that was placed into the jars.
The shipment arrived in Melbourne on 4 March.
Australian Border Force officers identified the shipment before it was delivered to an address in Campbellfield in Melbourne’s northern suburbs on 17 March.
The two Australian-based men were arrested on 17 March, after simultaneous raids at a home in Baxter on the Mornington Peninsula and a residence in the Sydney suburb of Croydon Park.
At Croydon Park, Police seized items including about $400,000 cash, eight one-kilo silver bars, a Ford Mustang, jewellery, watches, as well as electronic devices and other drug paraphernalia.
The 63-year-old man from Baxter, Victoria, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on 18 March, charged with one count of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs.
The 40-year-old man from Croydon Park, was extradited from NSW and faced Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 25 March.
He has been charged with one count of attempting to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs and one count of conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs.
Both men have been remanded in custody and will face Melbourne Magistrates’ Court at later dates.
AFP acting Commander Simone Butcher said international drug trafficking operations remained a key priority for the AFP and global partners.
“This operation is yet another example of the AFP working closely with our international law enforcement partners to protect
Australian communities from the scourge of illicit drugs,” acting Commander Butcher said.
Superintendent Tim Arseneault, Acting Deputy Regional Commander, RCMP Federal Policing Pacific Region, said the operation was a powerful example of countries working together with a common purpose.
“It sends a clear message: criminal networks that exploit international borders will be met with an international response,” Superintendent Tim Arseneault said.
“Our commitment to working alongside our global partners to dismantle these networks and protect communities everywhere remains stronger than ever.”