Police in Australia have charged six men after they allegedly found drugs worth up to A$1.5 billion (HK$9.9 billion) hidden in furniture inside a shipping container.
The discovery is the secondlargest drug bust in the country’s history, police said.
Australian Federal Police (AFP) said the men were charged over their involvement in the attempted importation of almost three tonnes of MDMA (Ecstasy) and crystal methamphetamine, also known as Ice, into Sydney.
Police will allege that the drugs, detected by customs officers, were hidden in a container shipped from Germany that had been filled with furniture and unmarked boxes.
Customs said officers found the drugs while searching a seacargo container from Hamburg on November 21.
“This seizure represents the second-largest seizure in Australian history, which proves lawenforcement agencies are working harder than ever to keep drugs out of our community,” said AFP Commissioner Andrew Colvin.