Australia will work closely with other countries under a new international strategy to intercept drug syndicates and stop methamphetamine reaching our shores.
Domestic meth consumption has tripled to 270,000 users over the past five years, making Australians the highest per capita consumers in the world.
Justice Minister Michael Keenan launched the International Methamphetamine Disruption Strategy on Tuesday, aimed at enhancing law enforcement and border security co-operation to tackle the ice scourge.
"We need to not sit here in Australia waiting for these drugs to hit our shores but we need to go offshore and do what we can to disrupt supply," he told reporters in Perth.
Mr Keenan said organised criminals all over the world were interested in exploiting Australia's enormous appetite for ice.
"Mexican drug cartels are joining together with Asian crime families, with West African distribution networks," he said.
"The demand remains so high in Australia organised criminals from all over the globe are keen to get involved in the market."
The minister said China, India and Myanmar were key source countries, while South East Asia and China were the primary distribution points.
"We are slowly, slowly starting to see a reduction in ice usage in the community but this is going to be a very long, drawn-out fight," he said.
Mr Keenan also talked up the success of Taskforce Blaze with China, which since 2015 has stopped 13 tonnes of drugs and precursors, including six tonnes of methamphetamine, from reaching Australia.
Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Leanne Close said under that taskforce there had been 117 arrests made jointly with China and 68 operations in Australia that resulted in 98 arrests and significant seizures of cash and assets.
She said the AFP had seen similar successes in Thailand with Taskforce Storm and Cambodia with Strike Force Dragon.
SIGNIFICANT METH SEIZURES IN THE PAST FOUR MONTHS:
* More than 5kg on a flight from Kuala Lumpur concealed in two 1.5 litre bottles of champagne
* 2.9kg in a consignment from Hong Kong concealed in packets of milk powder
* 4.8kg in a parcel from Canada concealed in clothing, decorative items and candles
* 4.5kg on a flight from Qatar concealed in a suitcase lining.
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