Three arrested as police bust alleged conspiracy to fly drugs from California to Australia

The US Drug Enforcement Administration seized 255kg of meth in California. Photo / Australian Federal Police

By Caroline Schelle

An elderly pilot is among three men charged after allegedly plotting to make an island-hopping drug run from California to Australia carrying methamphetamine (P) worth more than A$250 million.

The Australian Federal Police allege the trio intended to use a six-seater plane to ferry the massive haul of P across the Pacific Ocean, but the scheme never got off the ground.

Plans to fly the small plane from the west coast of the United States to a regional Victorian air field was "unique", AFP Superintendent Krissy Barrett said.

"Now I'm not a good flyer at the best of times but that's certainly not a plane I would have wanted to be on," she added.

The 255kg quantity of P, worth an estimated A$255 million, was discovered by the US Drug Enforcement Administration in a northern California storage facility on June 15. The drugs were to be hidden in the plane, Barrett said.

"We'll allege there was a sophisticated concealment plan for the drugs .... which involved the removal of passenger seats on board the aircraft."

A 72-year-old Melbourne man who is a qualified pilot was arrested at Melbourne Airport on July 5. Police allege he planned to fly to the US, before piloting the light aircraft back to Australia.

A 52-year-old NSW man was stopped at Sydney International Airport on Friday after A$2.4 million in cash was seized at Mildura, in regional Victoria, in a discovery police have linked to the alleged trafficking plans.

A 58-year-old Maribyrnong man connected to the haul was arrested in Melbourne's west yesterday. The trio were charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of methamphetamine. The NSW man is due to face court tomorrow, while the others have already appeared before a magistrate.

- AAP