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| Australian police bust drugs ring | Australian police bust drugs ring |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Australian police say they have busted an international drugs ring and seized what they describe as the largest single haul of the drug ecstasy. | |
| Sixteen people were arrested across Australia, with further raids expected in Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy. | Sixteen people were arrested across Australia, with further raids expected in Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy. |
| It follows a year-long investigation after 15 million ecstasy pills were found hidden in a shipping container that arrived in Melbourne from Italy. | It follows a year-long investigation after 15 million ecstasy pills were found hidden in a shipping container that arrived in Melbourne from Italy. |
| The tablets had an estimated street value of about A$450m (US$400m; £200m). | |
| The ecstasy - a banned amphetamine with mild hallucinogenic properties - was found by Australian customs officers hidden in tins of tomatoes in a shipping container in June 2007. | The ecstasy - a banned amphetamine with mild hallucinogenic properties - was found by Australian customs officers hidden in tins of tomatoes in a shipping container in June 2007. |
| The pills were replaced with a harmless substitute and the delivery was tracked, police say. | The pills were replaced with a harmless substitute and the delivery was tracked, police say. |
| 'No soft target' | 'No soft target' |
| The breakthrough came when another shipment of 150kg of cocaine arrived in Australia last month, which led to the raids across several countries. | The breakthrough came when another shipment of 150kg of cocaine arrived in Australia last month, which led to the raids across several countries. |
| In Canberra, Attorney-General Robert McClelland said Australia had shown it was not a soft target for drug smugglers - that view, he insisted, has been "well and truly" smashed. | In Canberra, Attorney-General Robert McClelland said Australia had shown it was not a soft target for drug smugglers - that view, he insisted, has been "well and truly" smashed. |
| The syndicate was believed to be responsible for 60% of illegal drug imports in to southern Australia. | The syndicate was believed to be responsible for 60% of illegal drug imports in to southern Australia. |
| Local newspaper reports have suggested that among those targeted by the police were Australians allegedly linked to the Calabrian mafia in the New South Wales fruit-growing town of Griffith, as well as others associated with an outlawed motorcycle gang. | Local newspaper reports have suggested that among those targeted by the police were Australians allegedly linked to the Calabrian mafia in the New South Wales fruit-growing town of Griffith, as well as others associated with an outlawed motorcycle gang. |