Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Williams for his question. I can inform the Senate that on Friday 21 November 2014 a targeted consignment from Hamburg in Germany, which was marked as containing personal effects and furniture, was examined by the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service in Sydney. A number of packages were opened and were found to contain approximately 849 kilos of methamphetamine and 1.9 tonnes of MDMA.

This seizure has an estimated street value of $1.5 billion. It contains sufficient drugs to produce 10 million street deals or tablets. It was the second-largest overall seizure in Australian history, and the largest-ever seizure of methamphetamine or ice. Six men were subsequently arrested on Saturday 29 November when they were found accessing the boxes.

This seizure commenced as a Customs intelligence operation. It is part of a wider body of exceptional work carried out by our front-line border personnel and law enforcement officers. Last financial year, border protection officers prevented around four tonnes of drugs and precursors from reaching Australian streets. We aim to stay one step ahead of the game. We know that those who seek to test our resolve will always seek out new methods of concealment.

The coalition government has brought the focus on border protection back to where it should be, and that is of course at the centre of government priorities. We are ensuring that this focus is backed with the increased resources and funding our agencies need to protect us from the scourge of organised crime. The men and women of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service are to be commended for the exceptional front-line work they do to keep our streets safe.