Australia seizes souvenirs filled with $1m of liquid meth

Sydney, July 24 (IANS) A total of 7.5 litres of liquid ice worth $1 million was found concealed in a shipment of souvenir snow globes headed for Australia, authorities said on Wednesday.

The drugs, which are a form of methamphetamine, were intercepted by the Australian Border Force (ABF) officers in Sydney who referred the case to the Australian Federal Police.

Inside one of the snow globes shown to media by ABF stands a cartoonish white llama next to a green cactus. When shaken, gold and silver glitter swirls and floats in the usually benign clear liquid.

The snow globes were X-rayed and when ABF officers tested the liquid it showed a positive result for methamphetamine, 9news.com reported.

Australian Federal Police have now launched an investigation into the shipment.

Snow globes are popular among children, and the ABF regional commander New South Wales, Danielle Yannopoulos, said that the bust highlights the significant role which ABF officers play in protecting the community from illicit substances.

"Our officers work tirelessly to prevent these harmful drugs from making it into Australian communities, and I'm proud of the results they continue to achieve," Yannopoulos said.

She said that the ABF continues to improve its technological capabilities, allowing them to see further into every package than ever before.

"Our officers continue to prove, time and time again, that criminals who attempt to hide these substances in new and imaginative ways are wasting their time. It doesn't matter how clever you think your concealment is -- we can find it."