Australia police seize enough fentanyl to kill 5.5 million people
- Forensic officers found 11.2kg of pure fentanyl hidden inside an industrial lathe – the largest-ever shipment detected by Australian police
- As little as 20 milligrams of the drug can be fatal. The Australian Border Force had only ever detected importations of less than 30 grams before
The drugs were found hidden inside in an industrial wooden lathe sent from Canada that arrived in Melbourne in December 2021, the force said in a statement.
Australian Border Force officers inspected the container in February and detected nearly 60kg of powdered substances hidden inside military-style ammunition boxes concealed within a 3-tonne lathe.
Forensic officers identified 11.2kg of pure fentanyl, equivalent to about 5.5 million potentially lethal doses of 30 milligrams, and some 30kg of methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of A$27 million (US$18.6 million).
As little as 28 milligrams of the drug can be fatal, the Australian Border Force said.
Australian authorities said they had only ever detected illicit fentanyl importations in minor amounts, all less than 30 grams.
“This was a massive amount of fentanyl,” Australian Border Force Commander Maritime and Enforcement South James Watson said.