AFP charge six men over $1.7b methamphetamine trafficking attempt

Six men have been charged by the AFP after a five-month investigation involving Five Eye Law Enforcement Group partners.

Police say the drugs were spread across four import attempts and had been destined for Victoria and NSW.

Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Bob Hill said it was one of the largest attempted imports of liquid methamphetamine into Australia.

"It involved in excess of six tonnes of methamphetamine worth an eye-watering $1.7 billion," he said.

"Unfortunately Australians have an insatiable appetite for illicit drugs which makes us an incredibly lucrative market for organised crime.

"Our use of methamphetamine in this country per capita is matched by no other nation in the world.

Assistant Commissioner Hill said the drug seizure prevented community harm related to illicit drugs including road trauma, family violence, homicides, shootings and other violent offending.

In January, Canadian authorities tipped off the AFP that 2900 litres of liquid methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of $720 million, were contained in 180 bottles of canola oil headed for Australia.

Two further shipments totalling more than 3200 litres of liquid methamphetamine were seized in Canada in the following months, also concealed in canola oil and destined for Australia.

AFP Assistant Commissioner Hilda Sirec said all of the imports bound for Australia had been substituted with harmless substances so authorities could identify the alleged local offenders.

"We believe a global organised crime group using Canada as a launch pad is responsible," she said.

"Methamphetamine is a horrific drug and highly addictive and has been linked to some of the most heartbreaking crimes across the country."

The AFP believes the global crime syndicate behind the foiled imports is also linked to an attempt to traffick 200kg of crystal methamphetamine into Australia in December 2022.

"Transnational serious organised crime groups are a national security threat. They undermine the Australian economy, social security system and financial system,'' Assistant Commissioner Sirec said.

"Equally, helping to prevent illicit drugs from coming into Australia is critical because it deprives organised crime from profiting and bankrolling other serious offences, including child exploitation, sexual servitude and human trafficking."

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Assistant Commissioner Sirec said the trafficking of illicit drugs was emerging in state war craft.

"In parts of the world, some state actors appear to be working with organised crime to distribute illicit drugs to regions in a bid to undermine societies and democracy. This challenges our rules-based order and the rule of law at levels never before seen."

Two Victorian men have been charged with attempting to import methamphetamine from a global criminal syndicate.

Four other men have been charged after allegedly trying to buy the illicit drugs in Australia.

Further arrests are expected.