World News – AU – Bizarre $ 79 million find in excavator imported into Australia

A construction worker in Sydney was charged after $ 79 million drugs were found in an excavator imported into Australia and sold at an auction house.

Five men were arrested after 448 kg of MDMA was found hidden in an excavator imported from the UK to Australia.

A successful construction worker from West Sydney is among five people arrested on an international conspiracy to smuggle nearly 450 kg of MDMA into Australia in an excavator.

Tony Maaz of Bankstown was arrested Wednesday morning after border officials intercepted the heavy load as it landed on Australian shores from the UK earlier this year.

Police will accuse 33-year-old Maaz and another Sydney man, Raymond Lipovac, 42, of shipping the excavator from Southampton, England, knowing it was worth an estimated 79 million US dollars -Dollars were inside.

The excavator was intercepted and x-rayed by authorities in Brisbane in March following a tip from Australian Border Forces officials before 226 plastic bags of MDMA were removed.

It was then sent to an auction house by three men in the UK and bought by Sydney construction worker Mr Maaz before mailing it to an address in Sydney, police will claim.

The results prompted Australian federal police to search several homes in western Sydney, including Blacktown, Mortlake, Homebush and Greystanes, and confiscated $ 1 on Wednesday. 2 million in cash.

Police will claim that Mr Maaz and Mr Lipovac, along with three other men aged 53, 60 and 57, who were arrested in London earlier this year, were behind the massive drug trafficking.

The Australian couple now have the maximum life behind bars if found guilty of possession of commercial quantities of border controlled drugs.

Two men from Sydney stood on trial Monday and will be behind bars for life if found guilty. Image: AFPSource: Delivered

The two men appeared in the Central Local Court Wednesday for attempting to obtain a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug.

Neither of them asked for bail and it was officially denied. You will appear in court in February.

Justine Gough, AFP deputy commissioner in the East Command, said the drugs allegedly hidden in the excavator’s arm were later tested and confirmed as MDMA.

Police will also claim the men tried to cut open the excavator’s arm to reveal the illegal substance once it arrived in Sydney, but it has already been removed by officers.

« The excavator is believed to have been brought to an auction house by people exported from the UK, » she said.

Police aren’t ruling out whether more people may have been involved in the alleged crime, but Deputy Commissioner Gough said officers are starting the « slow and painful » process of filtering evidence to « identify the players involved. ». ”

The excavator was sold at an online auction and allegedly bought by Mr. Maaz. Image: AFPSource: Delivered

The drugs would likely hit the roads of Australia’s east coast, which would have had a devastating impact on communities, said Erin Dale, ABF assistant commissioner for east and port operations.

« If this had not been discovered, it would have ended up on our streets and could have tragic effects on individuals and families. « . ”

In general, Deputy Commissioner Dale said, « Criminals believe their methods of covering up could allow them to sneak drugs across the border, but that will not be the case. « .

Heavy machinery has been used several times to attempt to import drugs into Australia. Deputy Commissioner Gough noted that cars have been used in the past.

« This highlights the innovative way that organized crime groups are hiding drugs in Australia, » she said.

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MDMA, excavator, Australian Federal Police