1 billion Australian dollars' (almost US $700 million) worth of the drug "Ice", which is liquid methyl amphetamine, was confiscated by the Australian police from a consignment of silicon bra inserts and art supplies from China, according to the country's federal police.
The drugs busted could have made about 1,100 pounds of high-grade crystal meth, according to Fox News.
This is reportedly the biggest bust of liquid methyl amphetamine in the history of Australia, ever. It is also one of the biggest drug seizures overall.
According to Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan, the bust caused 3.6 million individual hits of ice to be taken off the streets of Australia.
Australian Federal Police said on Monday (Feb 15) that four people were charged in regards to the bust, which included 720 liters of the drug, CNN reported.
Australian customs first found almost 190 liters concealed inside thousands of stick-on gel bra inserts, in a shipment coming from Hong Kong in December of last year. When the delivery was tracked to a storage facility, a Hong Kong national was arrested.
Then, a further 530 liters of the drug was found hidden in art supplies which were being stored in storage units in the city of Sydney itself.
Since then, one Chinese national and two more Hong Kong nationals have been arrested in regards to the drug's import and manufacture.
Keenan says this is a product of criminals targeting the Australian ice market from offshore. The Australian ice market is alarmingly on the rise, and the fight against methyl amphetamine is a significant one.
Ice can cause psychosis and psychological problems in the long run, according to experts.
The drug has been related to violence, robberies and road deaths, and is a drug that is accessible in areas previously not affected by drugs, like regional and remote communities. Methyl amphetamine is reportedly the biggest threat to the Australian people of all illegal drugs by a large margin.
The four suspects in the case should appear before a Sydney court next month. They are charged with importing and manufacturing commercial quantities of illegal drugs. If they are convicted, each suspect faces a possible life sentence.
