

More than 4000 kilometres from home and under the cover of a still Western Australian night, the three New South Welshman were just metres from reversing off a lonely timber wharf when it happened. Heavily armed Tactical Response Group officers swarmed the men and their large hire van.

Thrown randomly inside were 59 packages adorned with Chinese writing, which authorities allege is the largest single haul of methamphetamine seized in Australia – more than 1.2 tonnes with an estimated street value of $1.04 billion and the equivalent of 13 million separate hits of the drug they say has become the scourge of the country.

As the three men are placed in handcuffs, more officers rush across the 50-metre long wharf at the Port of Geraldton and board the ocean-going vessel Valkoista, docked at the end of the jetty. On board were three more men – including two from South Australia and one from the NSW Central Coast – as well as one more 20 kilogram package of ice.

After six months of investigation and surveillance, the bust happened in a matter seconds at 4am on Thursday.