Alleged drug trio nabbed in Sydney after thinking outside the box

Australian drug smugglers with Iranian crime gang links have been sprung in Sydney trying to import boxes made out of an illicit drug, local police say.

The Australian Border Force allegedly detected 400 boxes manufactured from methamphetamine with a street value of more than AU$100 million.

Three men have been charged and face life imprisonment over the "outside the box" import attempt. The boxes containing about 110kg of meth were intercepted in an air shipment from southwest Asia earlier in February, police said.

The boxes — which contained hip flasks — were fabricated out of meth that represented potentially more than one million individual street deals, Australian Federal Police said.

After the drugs were removed, a controlled delivery of the shipment was allegedly accepted in Sydney by a 46-year-old man from Telopea in the city's west on Tuesday.

"Further inquiries led investigators to identify him as an alleged member of an Iranian organised crime syndicate," a federal police statement said.

"AFP investigators monitored the 46-year-old as he went to a shopping centre in Sydney's west where it will be alleged he met with other alleged members of the Iranian syndicate."

The man was followed to a Liverpool unit and a search warrant was executed, with equipment used to extract meth and drug lab items allegedly found.

A 41-year-old Baulkham Hills man was arrested when a Carlingford home believed to be linked to the alleged import plot was searched at the same time.

A 40-year-old Melbourne man fled but was apprehended soon after with help from the NSW Police dog squad, then taken to hospital with minor injuries.

A search of the one of the properties located items including almost 10kg of pre-manufactured meth, federal police said.

The three men have been charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, and have been remanded in custody after appearing in Downing Centre Local Court. The trio are next set to appear on April 16.

"No matter how elaborate or outside the box these attempts are, the AFP and our partners are committed to combating organised criminal syndicates," AFP Acting Commander Peter Fogarty said.

Meanwhile, federal police have seized more than 11 tonnes of chemicals allegedly likely to be used to manufacture meth in one of NSW's largest clandestine drug lab operations.

The seizure at a western Sydney commercial property was linked to the arrest of five people in January 2025 for their roles in an alleged failed plot to import more than half a tonne of illicit drugs into Australia in 2024.