Zimbabwean man arrested in Sydney with $828 million worth of methamphetamine

ZIMSPHERE 

SYDNEY, Australia – A 31-year-old dual Zimbabwean-Australian citizen has been arrested and charged by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) for his alleged involvement in an attempt to import $828 million worth of methamphetamine into Australia from the United States. 

Authorities said the estimated value of this quantity of methamphetamine was potentially $828 million. (Image: Australian Federal Police)

Authorities thwarted the smuggling effort, which involved nearly 900 kilograms of meth hidden inside two pieces of industrial machinery.

The AFP was alerted to the criminal operation through a combination of an anonymous tip-off to Crime Stoppers and intelligence from US Homeland Security investigators about large drug shipments destined for a Sydney furniture store.

The suspect, identified as Michael Charumbira, was apprehended last Wednesday at a property in Warwick Farm, Sydney. 

Alongside Charumbira, police also arrested an unnamed man, who has since been released pending further investigations. Neither individual was previously known to the AFP. No arrests have been made in the United States.

Charumbira arrested over his alleged involvement in a plot to import almost 900kg of methamphetamine into Sydney. (Image: AFP)

Charumbira appeared before the Downing Center Local Court on August 1 and will remain in custody until his next court appearance on October 2.

Australian Border Force officers intercepted the shipment at Port Botany, discovering and seizing 896 kilograms of methamphetamine, which had been packaged in individual wrappings. The drugs were en route to Warwick Farm.

While it remains unclear whether the meth was manufactured in the US, Mexico, or elsewhere, police allege that the substantial quantity was intended for distribution "across the eastern seaboard".

Authorities say the drugs were hidden inside two pieces of industrial equipment. (Image: AFP)

AFP Detective Superintendent Peter Fogarty stated that organized crime was behind the attempted importation and emphasized the scale of the seizure. 

“Almost 900 kilos is really a massive amount of drugs, so I think there is very much an organized crime syndicate behind this,” he said, noting that the meth could have equated to approximately 8.9 million individual street deals. 

Fogarty added that investigations are ongoing, and more arrests are expected. “A much bigger syndicate has access to large sums of money to bring these sorts of quantities of drugs into Australia,” he remarked.

According to the latest figures from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the number of border detections of amphetamines in Australia, including methamphetamine, grew by 63 percent between 2011 and 2021. 

In April, the AFP estimated that at least 70 percent of Australia’s methamphetamine supply originated from North America.

An Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report indicated that in 2021-2022, an average of 27 people were admitted to hospital per day for methamphetamine-related issues. 

Fogarty highlighted the pervasive impact of meth, describing it as the second-most consumed drug in Australia, with its devastating effects felt across "communities, from homes to hospitals."

(with reporting from ABC News)