Motorcycle Gangs and Afghan Methamphetamine
A Growing Threat to Australia
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has launched an investigation targeting outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMGs) involved in a conspiracy to import methamphetamine from Afghanistan to Australia, with large quantities of the illicit drug destined for NSW. More than 250kg of Afghan-produced methamphetamine worth $225 million have been prevented from entering Australia since 2021, with the majority of the drugs being intercepted offshore, including in Pakistan where two AFP members are based.
Smuggling Afghan Methamphetamine
According to AFP intelligence, transnational serious organized criminals are disguising the origin of the methamphetamine to make it easier to import into Australia. The offshore criminals are selling the illicit drugs to Australian outlaw motorcycle gangs by redirecting consignments through other supply chains in the region. The AFP is working with international law enforcement partners to identify and disrupt these organized criminals who are sourcing or sending drugs through Afghanistan, Europe, across Asia or the Pacific.
In 2022, the Australian Border Force (ABF) seized 26kg of Afghan-produced methamphetamine in 19 separate imports alone, the majority of which were destined for NSW and hidden inside packages sent in the international mail stream. As law enforcement records a spike in Afghan-produced methamphetamine seized in Australia, the AFP's intelligence will be helpful in conducting joint operations with state, Commonwealth and international law enforcement partners targeting several offshore and Australian-based criminals.
On March 2, the AFP officially opened its new Sydney forensic laboratory, which will play a vital role in identifying the origins of illicit drugs imported into Australia. AFP Eastern Command Assistant Commissioner Stephen Dametto said that Afghan-produced methamphetamine is a significant and emerging threat to Australia, and stopping these criminal groups at the international source with the help of partners means that these drugs will never reach the streets of Australia.
Assistant Commissioner Dametto said the AFP's strong forensic capability was a key component in combating transnational serious organized crime. The new AFP forensics facility and equipment will play a major role in identifying illicit drug imports, such as Afghan-produced methamphetamine, and their origins.
Assistant Commissioner Dametto warned that methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug that poses a significant risk to Australians. Illicit drug trafficking has serious consequences for Australia, including national security concerns, corruption of officials, impacts on the economy, family violence, and child neglect. The AFP will continue to work closely with state, Commonwealth and international law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal syndicates responsible for the rise of Afghan-produced methamphetamine imports to Australia.
ABF Assistant Commissioner Erin Dale emphasized the importance of inter-agency cooperation in combating importations of border-controlled drugs such as methamphetamine. The ABF will continue to work with all law enforcement agencies in Australia and offshore to prevent and disrupt organized criminal syndicates attempting to import illicit substances into Australia. The Australian border is a critical national asset, and the ABF, along with law enforcement partners, will continue to make the border a hostile environment for criminals trying to import illicit drugs.