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FOLLOWING the money trail, which involved millions of dollars in transfers from Australia to a South-East Asian country, led police to a giant cocaine ring.
Three Australians appeared in two Sydney courts yesterday after the eight-week investigation, which resulted in the seizure of 250 kilograms of high-grade cocaine.
The drugs were concealed inside packets labelled as green tea in 10 cardboard boxes in the rear of a shipping container of furniture that arrived in Sydney on March 4, a customs official said.
The haul, the fourth-largest seizure in Australian history with a street value of $87.5 million, was intercepted by members of the multi-agency Joint Asian Crime Group. Police carried out nine raids at properties in Hurstville, Allawah, Rockdale, Auburn, Glebe and inner Sydney.
The accused - Frank Hu, 50, of Hurstville, and two women, Dan Wang, 28, from Rockdale, and Yue Ma, 25, from Allawah - were charged with importing and attempted possession of a commercial quantity of cocaine.
Hu is also charged with dealing with the proceeds of crime.
Hu faced Central Local Court and was refused bail. He is due to reappear on April 30. He was arrested on Tuesday afternoon in a Kogarah street. The women were arrested the same day.
Wang appeared at Sutherland Local Court while Ma also appeared in Central Local Court. The prosecutor at the Sutherland Local Court, Sergeant Katherine Crumblin, said customs officers inspected the container and found the cocaine. Police officers substituted it with a harmless substance and monitored the delivery.
Wang, originally from China, is accused of being responsible for the unloading and safekeeping of the drugs. She remained silent throughout the hearing.
The magistrate, Jayeanne Carney, denied bail, saying the offence, which has a maximum penalty of life, carried a presumption against bail.
Officers wheeled out about 40 kilograms of the drug at a news conference yesterday, leaving the room with a strong chemical smell.
"That's one-quarter of a tonne of cocaine that won't be on the streets of Sydney tonight, dealing misery," the Police Commissioner, Andrew Scipione, said.
这是澳洲华人社区的耻辱。哎，脸丢尽了啊！
这是澳洲历史上最多的一次毒品进口，不过相对当年英国人贩运鸦片到中国，这还是小巫见大巫。
还是有点ASHAMED。。。
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