A man has been charged over an alleged plot to import cocaine from Northern Ireland, with police alleging he concealed the drugs in soup and curry sauce sachets.
Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers charged the Perth man, 32, following a lengthy drug trafficking investigation which lasted several months.
An AFP spokesman said an investigation was launched after border force officials in Perth seized international mail consignment, addressed from Northern Ireland, on March 15.
It is alleged about 561g of cocaine, concealed in soup sachets, was discovered in the package.
A second package intercepted by officers in Sydney later that month allegedly contained another 400g of cocaine – this time concealed in curry sauce sachets.
Two search warrants were executed on March 31 at properties in Scarborough and Perth.
During the searches, investigators allegedly seized $116,480 in cash, a mobile phone, about 28g of cocaine, 5 of methamphetamine, 8g of MDMA and 15g of marijuana, along with packaging which had traces of suspected illicit drugs.
The 32-year-old, who is allegedly linked to both properties, was arrested and charged with five offences, before being granted bail by Perth Magistrates Court.
Further intelligence gathered through the investigation led to another package being intercepted on April 5, which they alleged was imported by the same man.
Packets labelled as curry sauce allegedly contained a total of 552g of cocaine.
During a search of the man’s home on Thursday, along with two cars and a motorcycle linked to him, small amounts of cocaine and marijuana and three MDMA tablets were allegedly discovered.
The 32-year-old Perth man was arrested and charged with seven additional offences.
He is now facing a total of twelve charges, including three counts of importing a marketable quantity of a border-controlled drug and two counts of dealing in proceeds of crime worth $100,000 or more.
He is also facing multiple counts of possessing prohibited drugs.
A second man, 32, was also charged with one count of dealing in proceeds of crime worth more than $100,000 after officers executed another search warrant on April 1 at a Morley home, where $234,000 in cash was allegedly seized.
The AFP alleges this cash was being stored for the 32-year-old Perth man.