The investigation began in May when Australian Border Force officers intercepted an airfreight consignment from Germany, destined for an address in Fyshwick, Canberra.

The delivery contained 144 buckets labelled as chlorine, concealing bags of a white crystalline substance. Forensic testing confirmed it was 356kg of MDMA, which has the potential to produce over 1.2 million tablets with an estimated street value up to $40.5 million dollars.

Yesterday, police searched a house in Phillip, and arrested 23-year-old man in Lawson. During the search they seized about $3000 worth of steroids, a small amount of white powder and a number of fireworks.

The 23-year-old man has been charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug.

ACT Police also conducted another search in Wright where they seized a commercial quantity (1.3kg) of an amphetamine type substance known as cathinone and a rifle.

AFP Manager Crime Operations, commander Justine Gough, said the operation shows that organised crime syndicates will go to great lengths to import drugs into Australia.

“The AFP works tirelessly with our partners to reduce the harm that drugs cause by stopping them from reaching our shores and being distributed throughout our communities,” she says.

“We want criminals involved in these operations to know that we are working to disrupt their networks, track down those involved and bring them to account.”

ACT Policing deputy chief police officer Mark Walters said the broader investigation into serious and organised crime is ongoing.

“We’re becoming used to seeing large seizures of this kind in our major cities, such as Melbourne and Sydney, but to have over 350kg destined for Canberra and surrounding regions is much more uncommon. It’s frightening to think what impact this haul could have had on the community,” he says.