On Saturday, Australian police announced the seizure of the country’s largest heroin shipment, worth an estimated A$140 million ($104 million), and the arrest of a Malaysian national for the illegal drug’s importation.
The 450-kg (990-pound) consignment, which is the weight of a grand piano, was discovered in a sea freight container of ceramic tiles transported from Malaysia and addressed to a Melbourne business, according to police.
The police did not identify the apprehended individual, as is customary in Australia unless the identification of the suspect is in the best interests of the victim’s family or the general public.
The man was accused of attempting to import and possess a commercial amount of a border-controlled substance. According to the police, the maximum sentence is life imprisonment.
According to Krissy Barrett, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Southern Command, the Australian Federal Police was cooperating with the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP).
In a statement, Barrett said, “We continue to work together in identifying and destroying transnational organized crime syndicates who seek to harm both our countries while generating millions of dollars in revenues from illicit activity.”
Based on their estimations that one death occurred in the Australian community for every 2 kg of heroin used, the police assessed that the heroin interception saved 225 lives.
