6 people arrested after largest US-Australian meth seizure

SYDNEY (AP) — Australian police have arrested six people after what authorities say was the largest-ever single seizure of methamphetamine in the United States.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said 1,728 kilograms (3,800 pounds) of the drug were seized in mid-January at the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex along with smaller amounts of cocaine and heroin.

The drugs were hidden in metal boxes and falsely labelled as loudspeakers. It was also the largest haul of meth, or ice, intercepted while bound for Australia.

Australian authorities said Friday the joint U.S.-Australian operation had stopped “a tsunami of ice” from reaching Australia.

The Australian Federal Police and Victoria State police said six people arrested in Australia on Thursday were tied to a U.S.-based syndicate under investigation over the drugs. Two of those arrested are Americans.