SYDNEY: Australian customs have seized methamphetamine stashed in kayaks shipped from China after chasing the shipment all the way down to the delivery end.
Officers at the Sydney Container Examination Facility selected a container from China for X-ray inspection. The inspection revealed anomalies with the consignment of 27 sea kayaks. The examination revealed 19 of the 27 kayaks contained packages of a white crystallized substance. Initial testing of the substance returned a positive reading for methamphetamine. The container was later delivered to a storage facility where the suspects were arrested after they allegedly accessed the kayaks to retrieve the concealed substance.
The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, in a news release posted on its website, said it made the drug bust with the help of Australian Federal Police. The announcement said five people had been arrested in the Sydney suburbs. The suspects included four Taiwanese nationals and a Sydney resident.
The drugs were estimated to have a street value of $163 million.
