Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Customs authorities found $1 billion worth of meth disguised as coconut water that was headed to Australia

Customs authorities found $1 billion worth of meth disguised as coconut water that was headed to Australia

One officer estimated the sheer amount of meth could have ended up being sold in as many as 18 million street-level deals.

*  Australian and Hong Kong authorities seized $1 billion worth of meth disguised as coconut water.

*  One officer estimated the meth could have been sold in as many as 18 million street level deals.

*  Australian officials said their agents in Mexico identified the shipment traveling through Hong Kong.

Border authorities seized nearly $1 billion worth of meth that was hidden in coconut water cartons bound for Australia, the Australian Federal Police, or AFP, said on Sunday.

The AFP said the coconut water shipment contained 1.9 tons of liquid meth — breaking the record for the amount of the drug seized in Hong Kong.

The meth was discovered on October 23 as part of a joint effort between Australian officials and Hong Kong customs authorities, AFP said in a statement.

The drugs have a wholesale value of around $345 million, but have a street value of $1.03 billion, its statement said.

The smugglers tried to hide the meth using packaging that looked similar to a legitimate coconut water brand sold in Mexico, the agency told Insider in an email.

"There is no limit to the concealment methods organized crime groups will use to smuggle drugs into Australia," an AFP spokesperson said.

The meth was disguised as coconut water, according to the AFP.Australian Federal Police/Hong Kong Customs and Excise


The agency said in its Sunday statement that it had agents in Mexico who helped identify the shipment, which was supposed to be transported from Mexico to New South Wales through Hong Kong.

"This amount of meth could have been sold as about 18 million street-level deals, so the New South Wales and Australian community is safer because these drugs were seized," said AFP Detective Superintendent Patrick Gordon, a senior officer in Mexico, per the AFP's statement.

The agency estimated that it saved around $471 million in public costs for dealing with drug-related harm, crime, healthcare, and loss of productivity.

Australian police are no strangers to huge drug busts involving novel smuggling methods. In August, Australian authorities seized two tons of meth found in marble tiles shipped from the United Arab Emirates, as well as $106 million of crystal meth in a vintage Bentley.

In 2019, Australian police seized nearly $1 billion worth of meth hidden in stereo speakers smuggled in from Thailand.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
JD Vance Warns Europe Faces “Civilizational Suicide” Over Open Borders and Speech Limits
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
×