Police seize meth with street value of $25 million hidden in truck’s horse feed cargo

Two South Australian men have been arrested after police uncovered a large quantity of methylamphetamine allegedly hidden in horse feed in the back of a semi-trailer.

Police said 50 kilograms of the drug were found concealed in buckets in the truck, which was stopped at Port Wakefield north of Adelaide yesterday.

The driver and another man, both aged in their 40s, have been arrested and charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of a controlled drug.

The vehicle was allegedly travelling between Western Australia and New South Wales when it was stopped after police received information about its cargo.

It was then taken to an Australian Border Force (ABF) container examination site where the load was x-rayed.

“Anomalies were identified in one of the 16 pallets, and an ABF drug detector dog subsequently gave a positive response to that pallet,” police said.

Police said a “crystalline substance” later identified as meth was found in buckets that had been on board the truck.

“Also in those plastic buckets was some horse feed which was concealing the drugs within the buckets,” Detective Chief Inspector Darren Fielke said.

Police said the drugs had an estimated street value “upwards” of $25 million.

“The drugs that we have seized are significant in quantity, they are significant in value,” Chief Inspector Fielke said.

“This is one of the largest methylamphetamine seizures we’ve had in recent times.”

Police are continuing to examine the truck’s contents for more drugs and said three northern suburbs properties connected with the two men had been searched.

Those searches allegedly uncovered cash-counting machines, electronic scales and packaging materials.