A man from Sydney has been detained by the Australian Federal Police on suspicion of planning one of the biggest drug importations in Australian history.
The 35-year-old Turkish national was detained on Saturday morning at Sydney International Airport after being flown out of Turkey in accordance with a court order for deportation.
With the alleged help of significant global organized criminal syndicates, the man is suspected of orchestrating a 347.9 kilogram shipment of heroin into Sydney in December 2020.
He allegedly had multiple residences between March 2020 and May 2023 and was residing in Thailand at the time of the heroin export, according to the police.
The man’s seizure, according to AFP Commander Transnational Operations Richard Chin, will serve as a powerful warning to organized criminal figures of the agency’s broad capabilities with international law enforcement.
Those who attempt to flee the country while committing crimes here in Australia are not as safe as they may believe, according to Mr. Chin.
We want the public to be aware that the AFP is unrelenting in its pursuit of organized crime leaders wherever they may be in the world and that we are working diligently abroad to ensure the safety of Australians at home.
“This arrest is a testament to our tight collaboration with Turkish authorities, who have shown a strong commitment to eradicating organized crime and ensuring that these organisations cannot function.
“Illicit drugs like heroin cause significant harm to the Australian community; they are a burden on our healthcare system and have a negative effect on every sphere of society,” the Australian government has stated.
The 35-year-old was arrested in his home country in January of this year after Turkish officials made the “independent decision” to send him to Australia.
He is accused of bringing in a large number of drugs that are subject to border controls, a crime that carries a maximum sentence of life in jail.
The importation of about 350kg of heroin is thought to have a street worth of more than $1 million.
On Sunday, the guy will appear in Parramatta Local Court.
