A 32-year-old Northern Territory man has appeared in Darwin Local Court charged with the alleged importation and possession of more than 4kg of ketamine – believed to be the NT’s largest seizure of the illicit drug.
A Northern Territory Joint Organised Crime Taskforce (NT JOCTF) investigation began in April after Australian Border Force (ABF) members at Sydney Airport identified a consignment suspected of containing ketamine that arrived on a flight from Germany.
Investigators from NT JOCTF, which comprises of members from the Northern Territory Police Force, Australian Federal Police,ABF and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC), replaced the drugs – which were disguised in several sports energy drink and protein bar packages – with an inert substance.
After retrieving the crystallised ketamine from the packages, officers determined the estimated weight of the illicit drugs to be 4.08kg. This amount of ketamine has an estimated street value of $800,000.
The parcel was then delivered to its intended address in Zuccoli, near Darwin, where officers allegedly observed a man signing and taking possession of the delivery.
NT JOCFT investigators then executed a search warrant at the property and arrested the man.
During the search, officers allegedly located the opened parcel containing the substituted illicit drugs.
The man, 32, was charged with the following offences one count of importing a commercial quantity of ketamine, one count of possessing a dangerous drug, and one count of supply a dangerous drug. Each offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
“This operation has resulted in the Northern Territory’s largest ever recorded ketamine seizure,” said NT Police Force Detective Superintendent Lee Morgan.
“Four kilograms of Ketamine is 40,000 times the minimum commercial quantity and is estimated to be worth $800,000 when sold.
“This package was delivered from outside of the country and the NT Police Force reiterate that these drugs are manufactured in unregulated and unhygienic conditions, and anyone choosing to use them is gambling with their life. We will continue to work closely with our partner agencies to combat imports of illicit substances into the Northern Territory.”
The man, who was arrested last Wednesday, is due to face court again on 2 May.
