Australian authorities yesterday said they had uncovered a 274kg haul of the stimulant ephedrine, used to make crystal methamphetamine, during a pest check on a rice shipment from India.
The seizure is one of the largest of ephedrine in Australia, with enough to manufacture 200kg of crystal meth - also known as ice - worth up to A$200 million (HK$1.5 billion), customs said.
The crystalline substance was scattered throughout bags labelled "basmati rice" which arrived in a 3,600-packet consignment in Melbourne in July and were physically checked for pests by a biosecurity officer.
"The officer who did the inspection was really on the ball," Agriculture Department first assistant secretary for border compliance Tim Chapman said.
"He realised that the powder that was in the bags of rice that were tested wasn't just residue from the rice, there was something different about it."
Three people - two Canadians and one Australian - were arrested and charged over the alleged importation and intended distribution of the ephedrine after the bags were delivered to destinations in Sydney and Melbourne.