International drug ring accused of supplying Australia with ketamine dismantled

An international drug ring accused of trafficking ketamine into Australia has been dismantled in Europe with the help of the Australian Federal Police.

Eleven people have been charged in the alleged drug plot involving Ketamine being smuggled into Australia from Spain, with the drugs concealed inside Christmas toys and household items.

AFP officers supported the investigation led by Guardia Civil and Catalonian Police to execute search warrants across nine properties in Spain, including in Barcelona and Ibiza.

The raids targeted the alleged senior members of the drug syndicate and uncovered methamphetamine, hashish, small amounts of cocaine and pink cocaine, as well as precision scales, vacuum sealers, mobile phones, computers, a safe, documents and cash.

The investigation started when AFP and Australian Border Force officers found 1.5kg of ketamine hidden in Christmas toys at Perth Airport on Christmas Day in 2023.

A 27-year-old Italian national was charged over his role in the import and was sentenced to three years in a Western Australian jail.

Detectives made a breakthrough in the case after finding encrypted messages on a mobile phone seized as part of the investigation, allegedly revealing correspondence to a 39-year-old Italian national in Spain.

Another eight air mail consignments containing 15kg of ketamine were located after further investigations.

Detectives believe they found evidence linking the consignments to the 39-year-old, who was among the eleven people charged.