Two Iranian men have been remanded in custody over the alleged importation of 19 kilograms of opium into Melbourne, with a street value of $1.1 million.
Australian Border Force officers intercepted 1.5kg of opium concealed within three machine parts on October 5, and have linked them to six similar packages intercepted since June this year, an Australian Federal Police spokeswoman said.
Federal police on Tuesday delivered the machine parts to a Werribee address, where the two Iranian men, aged 30 and 34, were arrested.
The men faced the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with one count each of attempting to possess a marketable quantity of a controlled drug.
They were remanded in custody to re-appear in the same court in January.
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If convicted, the men could each face a maximum jail sentence of 25 years.
