70kg of ice found in outdoor furniture

21 Sep 2012, 8:56 pm   -   Source: AAP
Three men have been charged in Sydney after police seized up to $42 million worth of the drug ice. (AAP)

Three men have been charged in Sydney after police seized up to $42 million worth of the drug ice. (AAP)

Three men have been charged in Sydney after police and customs officers seized up to $42 million worth of the drug ice.

Police and customs officers have seized more than 70 kilograms of the drug ice worth up to $42 million after finding it in outdoor furniture shipped from Hong Kong.

Three Sydney men have been charged over the haul after a joint operation by Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.

Police said on Friday that earlier this month customs officers acting on a tip-off inspected a shipping container that had arrived at Sydney from Hong Kong carrying an outdoor dining set.

Further inspection, including X-rays, revealed about 70 one-kilogram packages hidden in the frames of five lounges, police say.

The AFP subsequently carried out an operation in Fairfield and raided homes in Sydney overnight.

"Ice is a terrible drug that destroys people's lives," Customs and Border Protection National Manager Cargo Operations Jagtej Singh said in a statement, adding the seizure would protect the community.

AFP Manager of Serious and Organised Crime David Sharpe said the charges were a great result for the two agencies.

A 29-year-old man has been charged with importing a commercial quantity of methamphetamine and a 19-year-old and a 32-year-old man have been charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of methamphetamine.

They were due to appear in Sydney Central Local Court on Friday.

The maximum penalty for each offence is life imprisonment and/or an $825,000 fine.

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