Mexican cartels who have murdered thousands are infiltrating Australia to peddle drugs for maximum profit.
Australian Crime Commission (ACC) chief executive Chris Dawson says the cartels can get higher prices for their drugs in Australia than in Mexico or the US.
"Organised crime is motivated principally by profit and criminals look to exploit markets which offer high returns for low or calculated risk," he said in a statement on Monday.
"Recently, we've seen the emergence of Mexican cartel activity within Australia.
"You only need to look to the violence on the streets in Mexico and the thousands of people who have died at the hands of Mexican drug cartels to realise how dangerous these groups are, and they are now looking at Australia as a destination to facilitate their crime."
A kilogram of cocaine is worth about $A13,500 in Mexico and about $A35,000 in the US.
But if it reaches Australian shores it could fetch about $A250,000.
"While there are additional costs involved in importing cocaine to Australia, this represents a significant mark-up," Mr Dawson said.
"It's a fact the profits of Mexican drug cartels alone rival the GDP of some of the world's smaller nations."
Mr Dawson said the cartels had links to Australian outlaw motorcycle gangs and organised crime groups.
Two Mexican men allegedly linked to a cartel were arrested in Sydney in July.
The ACC and Australian Federal Police (AFP) said at the time they seized about 30kg of suspected crystal methamphetamine with a street value of up to $30 million, guns and about $2 million.
Mr Dawson said the commission and other law enforcement agencies were sharing intelligence with the US and other overseas authorities in a bid to choke the syndicates.
AFP liaison officers based in the US are also engaging with Mexican authorities.
"The AFP also works closely with North American law enforcement liaison officers based Australia," an AFP spokesperson said.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Ken Lay said the insidious reach of global drug crime was part of the changing face of policing, combining the efforts of state, national and international authorities.
"No longer are crimes being committed in geographical areas," he told reporters on Monday.
"These are very, very violent people, with a history of murder and assault and robbery and peddling poison to our communities.
"This is a challenge that we're going to have to stand up and face."
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