SYDNEY (AFP) - Two men from Hong Kong were arrested on Friday in Australia after methamphetamine with a street value of A$43 million (S$53 million) was found in a consignment of hairdressing products, police said.

The 72 litres of the drug, in liquid form, was intercepted last weekend when officers examined a pallet of shampoo, conditioner and hair colouring products that arrived by sea in Sydney from China.

Police then arrested the Hong Kong nationals, aged 35 and 43, after monitoring the delivery.

"We are alert to the different ways criminals conceal these dangerous drugs in their attempts to evade detection," customs official Paul Willard said.

"Criminals should be aware we have the examination skills, supported by cutting edge technology, to detect even the most sophisticated concealments."

The men were charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs and face a maximum penalty of life in jail if convicted.