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04 June 2020, 3:33pm
Media Release

Adelaide man jailed over 2016 failed $3.7 million meth importation

This is a joint media release between the Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force

A 24-year-old man has been sentenced to six years behind bars for his role in the failed plan to import 3.7 kilograms of methamphetamine into South Australia in 2016.

The man had earlier pleaded guilty to attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug and was sentenced in the South Australia District Court this week (Tuesday, 2 June).

Operation Tipaza was launched in December 2016 after Australian Border Force (ABF) officers detected illicit drugs concealed in aircraft engine cylinders in a consignment from Malaysia and alerted Australian Federal Police (AFP).

The drugs were seized by the AFP and the aircraft parts – without the methamphetamine – were delivered to its destined address at a business in suburban Adelaide.

Less than an hour after the consignment arrived at the Wingfield business, the now 24-year-old Adelaide man, who was then aged 20, collected the packages.

He took them to another property in Wingfield, where he pulled apart the aircraft cylinders to access the silver foil wrapped packets inside.

Police swooped on the man soon after he left the property and found the packets of what he thought were illicit drugs hidden in the spare tyre in his vehicle.

Search warrants were then executed at the man’s home and the Wingfield property, where police found the discarded engine cylinders.

Police say the amount seized equates to an estimated 37,000 ‘street deals’ and was worth approximately $3.7 million.

The 24-year-old man was sentenced to 6 years and 19 days imprisonment, with a non-parole period of 2 years and 9 months.

He has been in custody since pleading guilty in December and is eligible to apply for parole in September 2022.

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