A 65 year old man has been sentenced to eight years and six months in prison for his part in importing 1.2 tonnes of ephedrine in September 2019.
On 10 September 2019 a shipment declared as furniture was X-rayed by Australian Border Force (ABF) officers at the Sydney Container Examination facility. During the X-ray, officers noted anomalies in the contents of the container.
A physical examination of the container by ABF officers revealed 127 boxes hidden behind a large amount of wooden furniture which included chairs, tables and couches. The boxes were found to contain a brown substance.
Presumptive testing of the substance returned a positive result for the Border Controlled Drug (BCD) ephedrine. Ephedrine is a precursor substance used in the manufacture of the drug methamphetamine or "ice".
ABF officers conducted a managed delivery of the container to an address in Roselands NSW. A short time later ABF officers arrested two men who were observed accessing the container. The men were charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled precursor contrary to subsection 307.11 (1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995.
The 65 year old man was sentenced on 2 September in Downing Centre District court to eight years and six months in prison with a non-parole period of four years and six months. The man will be eligible for parole in March 2024.
The second suspect, a 23 year old man, was sentenced in March 2021 to 7 years in prison with a non-parole period of 4 years for his part in the importation.
ABF Commander Enforcement Operations East, Justin Bathurst said ABF officers are committed to stopping illicit drugs and precursors at the border.
"Detections like this highlight the strong demand for precursor chemicals to manufacture illicit drugs in Australia," he said.
"People should be aware, our highly skilled ABF officers are equipped with the latest tools and technology to stop criminals who attempt to import illicit substances and bring them before the courts."
People with information about the illicit importation of precursors or drugs should contact Border Watch by going to www.Australia.gov.au/borderwatch. By reporting suspicious activities, you help protect Australia's border. Information can be provided anonymously.
Information and images from original detection can be found here.
