Two men have been charged after Australian Border Force (ABF) officers allegedly intercepted hundreds of litres of drug precursor chemicals following a three-month investigation.
In July 2025, ABF officers identified multiple suspicious consignments arriving from Southeast Asia via sea cargo. The shipments, declared as clothing, kitchen appliances and paper towels, contained bottles of clear liquid.
Testing confirmed the substance as methylamine – a chemical with legitimate industrial uses but one also misused by criminal groups to manufacture MDMA and methamphetamine.
During a search warrant at a Thornleigh property on 25 July, investigators seized 479 litres of methylamine, around 100 kilograms of BMK glycidic acid, and several digital assets.
A 48-year-old man was arrested and charged with three counts of importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled precursor under the Criminal Code Act 1995, and one count of importing tier one goods under the Customs Act 1901. He remains before the courts.
A second 48-year-old man was arrested at Sydney International Airport on 23 September after arriving from the Philippines. An intelligence-led baggage and device search allegedly uncovered messages and images linking him to the precursor imports. He was charged with the same four offences and was formally refused bail in court on 24 September.
ABF Investigations NSW Superintendent Shaun Baker said detecting precursor substances at the border is critical to disrupting the domestic drug trade. “Criminals involved in drug manufacture do not care about the harm they cause, they put our community at risk for their own benefit, funding further criminal ventures,” Supt Baker said.
“Our detection processes, whether it be by land, air, or sea, are extremely thorough – we must continue to make the Australian border a volatile environment for organised crime, maintaining its integrity and protecting the Australian community.”
Both men are due to reappear at Parramatta Local Court on 14 November 2025.
Support our Journalism
No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.
