Two men are behind bars after a police sting allegedly unearthed 14.3kg of meth hidden in lunch boxes, a shotgun, and cash in raids on a drug lab.
Officers swooped on a car driving along the Hume Highway in the NSW Southern Highlands about 2.10pm on Monday with the pair inside.
They found a suitcase with numerous clear plastic containers filled with a white crystalline substance, believed to be the drug ice with a street value of $7 million.
Two men are behind bars after a police sting allegedly found a hidden lab and 14.3kg of meth worth $7 million (pictured) seized in raids across NSW
One of the suspects arrested when police swooped on a car driving along the Hume Highway in the NSW Southern Highlands about 2.10pm on Tuesday
Police then searched a rural property in Towrang and found an inactive large-scale hidden drug lab including custom-made steel apparatus.
The raid also seized another 660 grams of meth, and a 12-guage shotgun and ammunition on a bedside table that was registered but not secured.
Raids on houses in the Sydney suburbs of Claremont Meadows and Chiswick led to the seizure of almost $150,000 in cash, steroids, mobile phones, electronic equipment, designer watches, and documentation.
Christopher Nix, 28 and Brian Farrugia, 34, were arrested and charged with large commercial manufacture and supply of a prohibited drug.
Police searched a rural property in Towrang and found an inactive large-scale hidden drug lab including custom-made steel apparatus
Christopher Nix, 28 and Brian Farrugia, 34, were arrested and charged with large commercial manufacture and supply of a prohibited drug
Farrugia was also charged with dealing in the proceeds of crime. Both were refused bail and will face Goulburn Local Court on September 13.
Drug squad commander Detective Superintendent Tony Cooke said the operation showed the extent of drug manufacture in NSW.
‘Not only are we seeing groups producing enough drugs to destroy communities, they are manufacturing them in volatile environments, which present risks of explosion and contamination,’ he said.
The car held a suitcase with numerous clear plastic containers filled with a white crystalline substance, believed to be the drug ice
‘Clandestine laboratories can produce container loads of drugs here in NSW, which is no different than if it were packed onto a ship and sent from overseas.
‘That is a challenge specific to targeting ice.’
Det Supt Cooke said keeping track of the precursor chemicals, many of which were imported legally, was a major priority.
He encouraged the public to call police if they noticed anything suspicious that may be signs of a drug lab.
Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.