Half a billion dollars worth of chemicals allegedly destined to become methamphetamine have been seized and a man arrested as part of a major investigation into a trafficking syndicate.
Officers descended on a 200-acre rural property in Victoria's Wimmera region on Tuesday and found more than 10 tonnes of "precursor" chemicals worth half a billion dollars, Victoria Police said.
The chemicals stored in 50 drums were allegedly destined to become up to five tonnes of methamphetamines.
A 59-year-old man was arrested at the property and released pending further inquiries.
"This seizure is the culmination of a 20-month-long investigation into an alleged drug trafficking syndicate operating within Victoria," the force said in a statement.
In late August, officers seized six kilograms of MDMA allegedly hidden in the sleeping bag of a man and woman who were about to board the Spirit of Tasmania.
A Newport man, 44, was charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of MDMA.
A total of eight people have been charged since February 2023, three large commercial clandestine laboratories shut down and stolen vehicles worth more than $1 million have been recovered.
The investigation is ongoing and police urge anyone with further information to come forward.
