The Australian Border Force seized more than 5 million fentanyl doses that were being illegally distributed on the country’s streets (ABF). The opioids were discovered in a shipment arriving from Canada in Melbourne in December 2021, hidden inside an industrial wooden lathe.
Two months later, during an examination of the shipping container, Australian police officers discovered nearly 60 kilogrammes of illegal substances. The substances had an estimated street value of 27 million Australian dollars (roughly €18.5 million or US$18.5 million) and were equivalent to approximately 5.5 million potentially lethal doses of 30 milligrammes.
While as little as 28 milligrammes of the drug can cause death, Australian police said they had only ever found illegal fentanyl in amounts less than 30 grammes. Fentanyl, a highly addictive painkiller, is nearly 50 times more potent than morphine and is primarily used for medical purposes in Australia.
According to AFP acting Commander Anthony Hall, one of the main reasons for making the announcement so late was to ‘alert the community to the harms that fentanyl poses’. Despite the fact that no arrests have been made, Hall believes organised crime is to blame for the large shipment of the drug.
Post Your Comments