Israeli man charged over $37m drug haul

• Powder could have made 1.2 million ecstasy pills
• Police tracked movements after substituting drug
• One man charged after raids in two states

AN Israeli national has been charged with trying to import the synthetic drug MDMA, with a street value of $37 million, into Australia inside three hot water tanks.

About 113kg of MDMA powder, usually found in ecstasy, was discovered inside 172 tennis ball cans packed in three of six solar hot water systems in a cargo shipment.

Customs officers at Port Botany spotted the cans during an X-ray last month of the container, sent from Israel.

Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers substituted the drug with another substance then monitored the cargo's delivery to a warehouse in Artarmon, in Sydney's north.

A 46-year-old man from Bellingen, on the mid-north coast, was arrested yesterday, police and customs said.

Police raided the warehouse, a property in Marrickville, in Sydney's inner-west, a car in the inner-city and a Melbourne house, where officers seized $25,000 in cash.

The man was charged with one count of importing a commercial quantity of border-controlled drug, namely MDMA and one count of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug.

He is due in Coffs Harbour Local Court today.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Tues, 24 April 2007
Source: Northern Territory News (Australia)
Copyright: 2007 AAP
Contact: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Website: http://www.ntnews.com.au

Mokbel brother refused bail on drugs charges

THE brother of fugitive drug baron Tony Mokbel was refused bail when he appeared in a Melbourne court on drug-trafficking charges today

Horty Mokbel faces five charges, including trafficking a commercial quantity of methylamphetamine.

His lawyer, Stephen Shirrefs SC, told Melbourne Magistrates Court that several factors made his client's case exceptional - including a weak crown case, a lack of relevant prior offences and family ties to the jurisdiction.

But the prosecution said it feared Mr Mokbel could flee the country, just as his brother had.

Magistrate Donna Bakos refused the 43-year-old bail, saying he did not meet the exceptional circumstances threshold required.

Mr Mokbel was charged last week with trafficking a large commercial quantity of methylamphetamine, attempt to possess methylamphetamine, traffick a commercial quantity of phenyl 2 propane and dealing with $9205 being the proceeds of crime.

Police allege an amphetamine cook - who has been convicted of drug trafficking - made statements to them that he manufactured amphetamine for Mr Mokbel between May 2005 and April 2006.

Mr Mokbel was ordered to reappear in July.

Tony Mokbel, 41, went missing in March last year. He failed to appear towards the end of his Victorian Supreme Court trial over the importation of 2kg of cocaine.

He was subsequently found guilty of trafficking cocaine and sentenced in absentia to 12 years' jail.

He has also been charged in his absence over the death of a Melbourne crime figure.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Mon, 23 April 2007
Source: Northern Territory News (Australia)
Copyright: 2007 AAP
Contact: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Website: http://www.ntnews.com.au

Police seize drugs to make Ice

INDONESIAN police, with assistance from their Australian counterparts, have foiled a shipment of drugs used to make “Ice” which they say could have eventually been destined for Australia.

The 336kg of a powder believed to be NorEphidrine could be used to make about 200kg of the drug Ice and would be worth about $A2.8 million.

The powder was found secreted in bags of a shipment of shrimp food from India about one week ago in Jakarta. So Far, one Indonesian has been arrested and police are still hunting two Taiwanese nationals.

Announcing the bust yesterday, the Indonesian National Narcotics Bureau said the Australian Federal Police had forwarded it information about the shipment.

Brigadier General Indradi Thanos said the drugs could have reached Australia.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Sat, 7 Apr 2007
Source: Northern Territory News (Australia)
Copyright: 2007 Northern Territory News
Contact: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Website: http://www.ntnews.com.au