Sydney, Nov 4 : Australian police have arrested 18 people after seizing almost 270 kg of illicit drugs during an investigation into an organised crime syndicate operating across the country.

The police forces in the states of New South Wales (NSW) and Western Australia (WA), as well as the Australian Federal Police (AFP), said in a statement on Tuesday that the arrests were made by a joint strike force that was established earlier in 2025 to investigate the large-scale supply of illicit drugs by an organised syndicate.

Strike force detectives executed 30 search warrants across NSW and WA between May and October, during which they located and seized 150 kg of pseudoephedrine, 95 kg of methamphetamine, 21 kg of ketamine, 2 kg of cocaine, 14 firearms, almost 2.4 million Australian dollars ($1.5 million) in cash and lab equipment.

Officers arrested 18 people, 11 of whom were in WA, and charged them with a range of offenses relating to the import and supply of illicit drugs and participating in a criminal group.

It will be alleged in court that the syndicate imported the drugs via sea by concealing them in consignments of shoes in plastic.

Police said the drugs were then exchanged across state borders by post and by drug mules on planes, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to authorities, the seized drugs had a combined estimated value of 60 million Australian dollars ($37.5 million).

Earlier on October 19, Police in the NSW had said in a statement that more than 5 kg of methylamphetamine and almost 11 kg of cocaine, with an estimated potential combined street value of over 6.3 million Australian dollars (about $4.09 million), had been seized in the state's southwest.

Officers, who were conducting patrols of the Hay area and had stopped a black car on the Sturt Highway.

After the 30-year-old male driver got a positive result in a roadside drug test, officers had searched the man and found cocaine and cash in his possession. Officers had conducted a search of the car and seized the drugs, as well as more than 130,000 Australian dollars in cash, and two mobile phones.

The driver was arrested and was charged with seven offences.

/IANS