Drug traffickers hid 130 kilograms of the drug ice in a shipment of bathroom tiles in an "audacious" attempt to smuggle the illicit drug from Malaysia.
The pallet of tiles was intercepted at Sydney's Port Botany last month, with authorities finding $115 million worth of methamphetamine encased in paraffin wax slabs.
Australian Border Force Superintendent Mal Nimmo says drug syndicates are becoming increasingly bold in their attempts to ship large quantities of illicit substances.
"Organised crime groups seek to infiltrate the border through all kinds of audacious methods in their many attempts to smuggle these harmful substances into the Australian community," he said on Thursday.
"Once the drug hits our shores, there's so many possibilities as to where it goes."
Police arrested three men over the haul on Wednesday before executing search warrants in Sydney's west and CBD, where they seized identification documents and about $20,000.
NSW Detective Acting Superintendent Stuart Gordon said the group was identified through ongoing investigations into another criminal syndicate.
"The only priority for these syndicates is profit. They have a complete disregard for the harm caused when these drugs hit the streets," he said.
Two 31-year-old men and a 30-year-old man will appear at Burwood Local Court on Thursday.
The bust was part a collaboration between the Border Force, NSW Police and their federal counterparts who were investigating drug-trafficking in a NSW-based criminal group.
In 2021/22, the Border Force stopped 10.4 tonnes of illicit drugs from arriving on Australian shores.
Though significant amounts of ice are made in Australia, international imports, particularly from China and Southeast Asia, have eclipsed the domestic market.
