Australian police arrest, charge 4 in illegal drug trafficking case

Canberra, Jan 12 (IANS) Australian police arrested and charged four men as part of ongoing investigations into the largest detection of methamphetamine at the Australian border.

The police of the state of New South Wales (NSW) said on Thursday that strike force detectives executed four search warrants at homes in western parts of the Greater Sydney on Wednesday, reports Xinhua news agency.

The police seized approximately 1.5 kg of methamphetamine, about A$100,000 ($69,169) cash, 100 kg of illicit tobacco, electronic devices and documentation.

This is part of an ongoing investigation, in which more than 2,000 kg of "ice" that has an estimated potential street value of more than A$1 billion has been detected and seized, and seven men were arrested.

The NSW police said three of the four men were refused bail to appear at court, and they are facing charges including attempted possession of a commercial quantity of unlawfully imported border controlled drugs and participating in criminal activities.

A 35-year-old man was charged with knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime and was granted conditional bail to appear at local court next month.