Three men have been charged with drug offences in NSW after police allegedly found $150 million of meth and cocaine hidden inside machinery imported from overseas.
Two of the men were sprung while using an angle grinder to access 230kg of methylamphetamine and 1.2kg of cocaine hidden in the machinery.
The third was arrested nearly a week later in a Sydney hotel. All three were refused bail and are facing courts.
NSW and federal police, along with border authorities, acted on a tip off earlier this month from US Customs.
They say they intercepted a shipment in Sydney and took the machinery apart to find hundreds of kilos of drugs inside, with a street value of $150 million.
The shipment was delivered to a Prestons business last weekend where two men, one aged 21 and the other aged 22, were arrested trying to cut open the machinery and access the drugs, police say.
On Thursday, police executed a search warrant at a Cabramatta hotel and a Prestons business, seizing electronics and cash.
A 41-year-old man was arrested at the hotel and charged with various drug offences.
NSW Police's organised crime squad commander, Detective Superintendent Rob Critchlow, said the bust was possible thanks to the strong relationships the force has with other organisations around the world.
"We'll continue to work closely and slash the profits of those involved in organised criminal activity, putting those responsible before a court and preventing these harmful drugs from reaching our borders," he said.
Australian Border Force Acting Commander Elke West underlined how the arrests showed the value played by strong partnerships in disrupting organised crime.
"The ABF will continue to support and work collaboratively with all law enforcement agencies in Australia and offshore," Acting Commander West said.
"These arrests demonstrate that strong partnerships can effectively prevent and disrupt organised crime syndicates attempting to import illicit substances into Australia."
