Two Sydney men have been refused bail after being charged with a massive methamphetamine haul, hidden in canola oil bottles by a global drug trafficking syndicate.
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Jamie Yim, 26, and Marc Joseph Cabrera, 34, were allegedly directed by the syndicate to transport 800kg of the drug to locations across western Sydney last year.
Authorities had previously intercepted the delivery and replaced the drug with another substance once it reached Australia.
Yim and Cabrera were each charged with one count of illegal drug possession after being arrested in southwest Sydney on Monday and appeared in court on Tuesday.
Their arrests come after Australian Federal Police launched an investigation into the syndicate that led to the arrest of six people in July last year.
The continued arrests of its associates were a win for the community, Victoria Police Detective Superintendent David Cowan said.
"The methamphetamine market is unrivalled in consumption, harm and serious and organised crime involvement," he said.
"We will continue making this state as hostile an environment as possible for anyone associated with the trafficking of drugs."
The investigation was sparked after Canadian authorities alerted the AFP that 2900 litres of liquid methamphetamine were bound for Australia hidden inside 180 bottles of canola oil.
Authorities stopped about seven and a half tonnes of the substance, worth about $2 billion, from finding its way onto the streets in Australia during five attempted smuggling operations last year.
The size of the attempted importations makes the syndicate a national security threat, Australian Federal Police Detective Superintendent Jason McArthur said.
"These criminals undermine the economy, social security system and financial system in all countries where they operate," he said.
Yim will return to court on March 4 and Cabrera on April 10.
Australian Associated Press
