A 35 year old Canadian national accused of importing more than 730 kilograms of pseudoephedrine and ephedrine into Australia has been charged, after being extradited from Canada at the weekend.
Members from the Victorian Joint Organised Crime Taskforce (JOCTF) extradited the man, who is alleged to be part of a transnational organised crime syndicate, from Toronto to Melbourne (via Brisbane) as part of Operation DIAMONDBACK.
The JOCTF launched its investigation into the organised crime syndicate in July 2012 after the discovery of restricted chemical substances concealed inside a series of shipments containing vanilla powder.
It is alleged the accused was involved in the importation of the border controlled substances hidden inside more than 2.7 tonnes of vanilla powder. Around 18 separate shipments were imported into Perth and Melbourne between January 2011 and May 2012.
In July 2012, the JOCTF executed a series of search warrants across Melbourne and Perth over a number of weeks, which resulted in the seizure of significant quantities of pseudoephedrine, ephedrine and methamphetamine, along with large quantities of chemical substances commonly used in the manufacturing process of methamphetamine.
The Canadian national will face the Melbourne Magistrates' Court today (Tuesday, 10 March, 2020) in relation to the following offences:
- Conspiring to import a commercial quantity of border controlled precursor, contrary to subsections 11.5(1) and 307.11(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
- Importing a commercial quantity of border controlled precursors, by engaging in an organised commercial activity that involved repeated importing of border controlled precursors, contrary to subsections 307.11(1) and 311.5(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
- Importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled precursor, contrary to s 307.11(11) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
- Conspiracy to manufacture a commercial quantity of a controlled drug, namely methamphetamine, for a commercial purpose, contrary to subsections 11.5(1) and 305.3(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
The maximum penalty for these offences can include up to 25 years imprisonment.
The arrest and charging of this Canadian National brings the number of people to 11 that have been arrested and charged as a result of the 18 month JOCTF investigation known as Operation Diamondback.
AFP Southern Command Detective Superintendent Ray Imbriano said the persistent work of the JOCTF spanning several years has led to this arrest and should serve as a serious warning to criminals who attempt to target our country while seeking protection offshore in the hope of avoiding Australian law enforcement.
"The Australian Federal Police together with its commonwealth and state law enforcement partners are committed to pursuing these offenders and bringing them to justice. To be clear – if you commit an offence, there is nowhere to hide, we will track you down," he said.
Victoria Police Detective Superintendent Jacqueline Curran of the Crime Command, Organised Crime Division said this highlighted the work across all agencies to limit the harm caused to the Victorian community through the trafficking of drugs.
"We've made no secret of the fact that Victoria Police is determined to make Victoria a hostile place for organised crime and in particular, those who are engaged in the manufacture and importation of drugs. This result really highlights the pursuit of those offenders by all the agencies involved in this operation," she said.
ABF Regional Commander for Victoria and Tasmania, Craig Palmer, commended the Victorian JOCTF team for its persistence with this investigation, and acknowledged the customs officers at Sydney Airport who initially raised suspicions about members of this syndicate.
"This significant multi-agency, cross-state investigation was supported by the excellent work of our officers screening passengers disembarking a flight from Vancouver to Sydney in 2012," Commander Palmer said.
"Operation DIAMONDBACK highlights yet again how effectively Commonwealth and State law enforcement agencies are collaborating to protect the Australian community from harmful illicit drugs, and, just as importantly, to hold criminal syndicates to account."
The JOCTF is comprised of investigators from the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Australian Border Force (ABF), Victoria Police and Australian Crime Intelligence Commission (ACIC), along with members from the Department of Home Affairs.
For free and confidential advice about alcohol and other drug treatment services, call the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015.
