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Tuesday, 02 December 2008

Arrests continue in relation to record-breaking ecstasy bust

11/08/2008 10:08:00 AM.  | AAP

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Twenty-one people have now been arrested and 20 charged in relation to what is believed to be the world's largest ecstasy smuggling bust.

Australian Federal Police (AFP) arrested a 53-year-old man from Melbourne's Maidstone at Melbourne Airport about 7pm (AEST) yesterday, on his return to Australia on a flight from India.

The Australian citizen was charged with conspiracy to import a border-controlled precursor.

Banned precursor chemicals are used to make illegal drugs, such as ecstasy and crystal methamphetamine.

The man, along with four others allegedly connected to the drug smuggling ring behind a massive ecstasy haul revealed last week, will appear in Melbourne Magistrates' Court today.

An AFP spokeswoman said it would be alleged there was a plan to import precursor chemicals from India to Australia.

Police last week said the interception of the 4.4 tonnes of ecstasy worth $440 million was the world's largest ever seizure of the drug.

The haul led to the arrest of 20 people in raids last Friday and caused a major disruption of organised crime in Australia and overseas, they said.

An international investigation revealed a shipping container holding more than 3,000 "tomato" tins, in which 15 million ecstasy tablets had been hidden. The container had been shipped from Italy to Melbourne in June last year.

Police said they also seized 150kg of cocaine from the same syndicate in July this year and discovered a $9 million money laundering operation.

Thirteen people appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Friday facing charges including drug trafficking, drug importation and money laundering.

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