A COALITION of organised crime groups are allegedly in the sights of police after six arrests were made in an operation that netted the second largest drug seizure in Australian history.

Authorities seized almost three tonnes of illegal drugs, including 1917kg of ecstasy (MDMA) and 849kg of crystal methamphetamine, worth an estimated $1.5 billion on the street.

The amount also represents the biggest ever seizure of methamphetamine in Australia — almost doubling the previous record, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin said today.

media_camera Some of the drugs seized. Picture: Courtesy of Australian Federal Police

media_camera The drugs were seized by AFP and other authorities. Picture: Courtesy of Australian Federal Police

The drugs were discovered hidden inside a mixed container load of furniture and unmarked boxes after being imported to Australia from Germany on November 19.

Police conducted a “controlled delivery” of the drugs to an address in Blacktown before following the load to Smithfield where six men — all Australian citizens aged 23 to 34 — were arrested early today.

Three of the arrested, Joshua Hamlin, 34, Mehmet Ozgen, 23, and Rene Arancibia appeared in Parramatta Bail Court today and were refused bail to return on Wednesday.

The others will appear in the court tomorrow.

media_camera Some of the drugs seized in the second largest drug bust in Australian history. Picture: Courtesy of Australian Federal Police

media_camera An Australian Federal Police officer examining the drugs. Picture: Courtesy of Australian Federal Police

media_camera The drugs packed up plastic. Picture: Courtesy of Australian Federal Police

Mr Colvin said search warrants were being executed and further arrests would occur.

He said the position of the arrested people in the hierarchy of the alleged syndicate was yet to be determined.

Mr Colvin would not comment on the identities of the local or overseas organised crime groups.

The federal police boss said a coalition of organised crime gangs were being targeted over the seizure.

“You can’t import nearly three tonnes of narcotics in this country without a large and sophisticated operation,” Mr Colvin said.

“This obviously has linkages overseas that will take us…into Europe and parts of Asia.”

The drugs were uncovered following a targeted “intelligence operation” that began months prior to the seizure and arrests.

NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said the seizure was “enormous”.

“When we talk about two tonnes of MDMA we are talking about upwards of 10 million individual doses,” Mr Scipione said.

He said the seizure included “the sort of drug that recently took the life of a very young girl at a concert”, in reference to Georgina Bartter who died earlier this month after taking party drugs at a music festival.

Explaining the impact of the seizure, Customs boss Roman Quaedvlieg said five tonnes of the major drug types were seized in 2013 and similar numbers seen this year before authorities grabbed this haul.

The largest ever drug haul in Australia — which was unrelated to today’s case — was a 4.4 tonne seizure of ecstasy — 15 million ecstasy tablets with a street value of $122 million — which a syndicate attempted to smuggle into Australia on June 28, 2007.

The drugs were hidden in 3000 tomato cans smuggled aboard the MV Monica and shipped from Naples to Melbourne.

Originally published as Australia’s second largest drug bust