NSW Police have charged a man as part of ongoing investigations into the alleged importation of $675,000-worth of liquid MDMA concealed in wine bottles.
Acting on intelligence received, officers from the Australian Border Force (ABF) examined a consignment which arrived in Sydney from the United Kingdomon Christmas Day 2020.
Border Force officers noticed inconsistencies
The air cargo consignment, which was declared to contain wine bottles, was noted to have inconsistencies and during a subsequent deconstruction was found to contain 4.5kg of clear liquid stored within the bottles.
The liquid was tested and returned a positive result for MDMA with an estimated potential street value of $675,000.
NSW Police then began an investigation and conducted a controlled delivery of the consignment to the addressee. The officers then stopped the vehicle and arrested a 63-year-old man on Thursday (7 January).
Search of a restaurant and home in Sydney
A short time later, police executed two search warrants at a restaurant at Woollahra and home at Bankstown, both located in the Sydney area.
During the searches, investigators seized more than $25,800 in cash and electronic devices, which will undergo further examination.
The arrested man was taken to Surry Hills Police Station and charged with possessing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug for unlawful import.
Synthetic drug alters mood and perception
MDMA is a synthetic drug that alters mood and perception (awareness of surrounding objects and conditions). It is chemically similar to both stimulants and hallucinogens, producing feelings of increased energy, pleasure, emotional warmth, and distorted sensory and time perception.
MDMA was initially popular in the nightclub scene and at all-night dance parties (‘raves’), but the drug now affects a broader range of people who more commonly call the drug Ecstasy or Molly.
People who use MDMA usually take it as a capsule or tablet, though some swallow it in liquid form or snort the powder. According to US drug enforcement sources, some users take MDMA in combination with other drugs such as alcohol or marijuana.
