Australian police smash Asian drug ring, 27 arrested
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An undated handout photo received from the Australian Federal Police on March 22, 2013 shows a Lamborghini being confiscated by the Australian Federal Police who said they had smashed a crime syndicate operating across South East Asia, leading to 27 arrests and the seizure of drugs and assets worth millions of dollars in Melbourne. Authorities said the organised crime syndicate - operating in China, including in Hong Kong and Macau, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar - had allegedly targeted Australia for its heroin and methamphetamine trade. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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An undated handout photo received from the Australian Federal Police on March 22, 2013 shows a Lamborghini being confiscated by the Australian Federal Police who said they had smashed a crime syndicate operating across South East Asia, leading to 27 arrests and the seizure of drugs and assets worth millions of dollars in Melbourne. Authorities said the organised crime syndicate - operating in China, including in Hong Kong and Macau, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar - had allegedly targeted Australia for its heroin and methamphetamine trade. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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An undated handout photo received from the Australian Federal Police on March 22 shows drugs hidden in a car petrol tank seized by the Australian Federal Police who said they had smashed a crime syndicate operating across South East Asia, leading to 27 arrests and the seizure of drugs and assets worth millions of dollars in Melbourne. Authorities said the organised crime syndicate - operating in China, including in Hong Kong and Macau, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar - had allegedly targeted Australia for its heroin and methamphetamine trade. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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An undated handout photo received from the Australian Federal Police on March 22, 2013 shows drugs found hidden in a car's petrol tank by the Australian Federal Police who said they had smashed a crime syndicate operating across South East Asia, leading to 27 arrests and the seizure of drugs and assets worth millions of dollars in Melbourne. Authorities said the organised crime syndicate - operating in China, including in Hong Kong and Macau, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar - had allegedly targeted Australia for its heroin and methamphetamine trade. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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An undated handout photo received from the Australian Federal Police on March 22, 2013 shows drugs hidden in a car petrol tank seized by the Australian Federal Police who said they had smashed a crime syndicate operating across South East Asia, leading to 27 arrests and the seizure of drugs and assets worth millions of dollars in Melbourne. Authorities said the organised crime syndicate - operating in China, including in Hong Kong and Macau, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar - had allegedly targeted Australia for its heroin and methamphetamine trade. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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An undated handout photo received from the Australian Federal Police on March 22, 2013 shows handbags confiscated by the Australian Federal Police saying they had smashed a crime syndicate operating across South East Asia, leading to 27 arrests and the seizure of drugs and assets worth millions of dollars in Melbourne. Authorities said the organised crime syndicate - operating in China, including in Hong Kong and Macau, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar - had allegedly targeted Australia for its heroin and methamphetamine trade. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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An undated handout photo received Australian Federal Police on March 22, 2013 shows bundles of cash confiscated by the Australian Federal Police saying they had smashed a crime syndicate operating across South East Asia, leading to 27 arrests and the seizure of drugs and assets worth millions of dollars in Melbourne. Authorities said the organised crime syndicate - operating in China, including in Hong Kong and Macau, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar - had allegedly targeted Australia for its heroin and methamphetamine trade. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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An undated handout photo received from the Australian Federal Police on March 22, 2013 shows handbags confiscated by the Australian Federal Police saying they had smashed a crime syndicate operating across South East Asia, leading to 27 arrests and the seizure of drugs and assets worth millions of dollars in Melbourne. Authorities said the organised crime syndicate - operating in China, including in Hong Kong and Macau, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar - had allegedly targeted Australia for its heroin and methamphetamine trade. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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An undated handout photo received Australian Federal Police on March 22, 2013 shows bundles of cash confiscated by the Australian Federal Police saying they had smashed a crime syndicate operating across South East Asia, leading to 27 arrests and the seizure of drugs and assets worth millions of dollars in Melbourne. Authorities said the organised crime syndicate - operating in China, including in Hong Kong and Macau, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar - had allegedly targeted Australia for its heroin and methamphetamine trade. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
An undated handout photo received from the Australian Federal Police on March 22, 2013 shows a Lamborghini being confiscated by the Australian Federal Police who said they had smashed a crime syndicate operating across South East Asia, leading to 27 arrests and the seizure of drugs and assets worth millions of dollars in Melbourne. Authorities said the organised crime syndicate - operating in China, including in Hong Kong and Macau, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar - had allegedly targeted Australia for its heroin and methamphetamine trade. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
An undated handout photo received from the Australian Federal Police on March 22, 2013 shows a Lamborghini being confiscated by the Australian Federal Police who said they had smashed a crime syndicate operating across South East Asia, leading to 27 arrests and the seizure of drugs and assets worth millions of dollars in Melbourne. Authorities said the organised crime syndicate - operating in China, including in Hong Kong and Macau, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar - had allegedly targeted Australia for its heroin and methamphetamine trade. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
An undated handout photo received from the Australian Federal Police on March 22 shows drugs hidden in a car petrol tank seized by the Australian Federal Police who said they had smashed a crime syndicate operating across South East Asia, leading to 27 arrests and the seizure of drugs and assets worth millions of dollars in Melbourne. Authorities said the organised crime syndicate - operating in China, including in Hong Kong and Macau, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar - had allegedly targeted Australia for its heroin and methamphetamine trade. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
An undated handout photo received from the Australian Federal Police on March 22, 2013 shows drugs found hidden in a car's petrol tank by the Australian Federal Police who said they had smashed a crime syndicate operating across South East Asia, leading to 27 arrests and the seizure of drugs and assets worth millions of dollars in Melbourne. Authorities said the organised crime syndicate - operating in China, including in Hong Kong and Macau, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar - had allegedly targeted Australia for its heroin and methamphetamine trade. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
An undated handout photo received from the Australian Federal Police on March 22, 2013 shows drugs hidden in a car petrol tank seized by the Australian Federal Police who said they had smashed a crime syndicate operating across South East Asia, leading to 27 arrests and the seizure of drugs and assets worth millions of dollars in Melbourne. Authorities said the organised crime syndicate - operating in China, including in Hong Kong and Macau, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar - had allegedly targeted Australia for its heroin and methamphetamine trade. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
An undated handout photo received from the Australian Federal Police on March 22, 2013 shows handbags confiscated by the Australian Federal Police saying they had smashed a crime syndicate operating across South East Asia, leading to 27 arrests and the seizure of drugs and assets worth millions of dollars in Melbourne. Authorities said the organised crime syndicate - operating in China, including in Hong Kong and Macau, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar - had allegedly targeted Australia for its heroin and methamphetamine trade. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
An undated handout photo received Australian Federal Police on March 22, 2013 shows bundles of cash confiscated by the Australian Federal Police saying they had smashed a crime syndicate operating across South East Asia, leading to 27 arrests and the seizure of drugs and assets worth millions of dollars in Melbourne. Authorities said the organised crime syndicate - operating in China, including in Hong Kong and Macau, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar - had allegedly targeted Australia for its heroin and methamphetamine trade. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
An undated handout photo received from the Australian Federal Police on March 22, 2013 shows handbags confiscated by the Australian Federal Police saying they had smashed a crime syndicate operating across South East Asia, leading to 27 arrests and the seizure of drugs and assets worth millions of dollars in Melbourne. Authorities said the organised crime syndicate - operating in China, including in Hong Kong and Macau, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar - had allegedly targeted Australia for its heroin and methamphetamine trade. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
An undated handout photo received Australian Federal Police on March 22, 2013 shows bundles of cash confiscated by the Australian Federal Police saying they had smashed a crime syndicate operating across South East Asia, leading to 27 arrests and the seizure of drugs and assets worth millions of dollars in Melbourne. Authorities said the organised crime syndicate - operating in China, including in Hong Kong and Macau, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar - had allegedly targeted Australia for its heroin and methamphetamine trade. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
SYDNEY (AFP) - Australian police said on Friday that they had smashed a crime syndicate operating across Asia, leading to 27 arrests and the seizure of drugs and assets worth millions of dollars.
Authorities said the organised gang - operating in China, including in Hong Kong and Macau, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar - allegedly targeted Australia for its heroin and methamphetamine trade.
"We know that ice (methamphetamine) availability has been increasing on our streets," Victoria state police Assistant Commissioner Stephen Fontana said.
"The dismantling of this organised crime syndicate, we expect, will dramatically effect that availability." Australian Federal Police said they had seized some 42kg of drugs along with A$4 million (S$5.3 million) in cash, in an operation launched in April 2012 to probe the alleged syndicate.
