SydPol sieze $84million mexican cocaine shipment

sew850i · July 13, 2010

FOUR men have been charged in connection with a 240kg cocaine syndicate which allegedly smuggled the drug into Melbourne hidden in pavers.

Police say they have dismantled a massive crime syndicate after 240kg of Mexican cocaine was allegedly shipped into Melbourne in stone pavers.

It's the fifth largest seizure of cocaine in Australian history.

Customs stopped two shipping containers of stone pavers from Mexico for inspection at the Port Melbourne Cargo Examination Facility on June 14.

Hundreds of kilograms of cocaine was allegedly concealed within some of the pavers.

Investigators swapped the cocaine with an "inert substance", before allowing the shipment to go on.

It was then delivered to a warehouse in the Melbourne suburb of Moorabbin, where police allege it was sorted, with the pavers containing drugs separated from the legitimate pavers.

The shipment was then allegedly moved to Sydney, where it was delivered to a home in Baulkham Hills on July 3.

The following day police arrested a 25-year-old Mexican after he allegedly sorted and transported the pavers from Victoria.

He was charged with attempting to import a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug.

Two Australian men, aged 24 and 25, were arrested in Mascot three days later as they allegedly tried to take receipt of 30kg of the cocaine shipment.

They have each been charged with an attempt to possess a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug.

A 31-year-old American man was yesterday charged with attempting to facilitate the distribution of the drug.

He has appeared in a Sydney court over his alleged involvement.

Teodoro Chavez, 31, appeared via audio visual link at Sydney's Central Local Court today, charged with two counts of possessing and supplying a commercial quantity of cocaine.

Chavez, who had been living in the Sydney suburb of Baulkham Hills, was arrested on yesterday.

He made no request for bail during a brief court hearing and it was formally refused by magistrate Allan Moore.

All alleged offenders have been refused bail and will reappear at various dates over the next two months, police said.

Director of the NSW State Crime Commands Organised Crime Directorate, Detective Chief Superintendent Ken McKay, on Tuesday said the operation involved NSW police, Australian Federal Police (AFP), Customs and Border Protection Service.

“This operation has been a major undertaking by all three agencies and has utilised the expertise of police from across states and federal jurisdictions,'' he said.

“Police have effectively disrupted what is a large organised crime syndicate and prevented $84 million worth of cocaine reaching our streets.''

Customs and Border Protection NSW regional director, Andrew Asking, thanked all those who “worked tirelessly'' on the operation.

“Their dedication and hard work has kept this harmful substance from entering the Australian community,'' he said.