A record amount of ketamine is reaching Australian borders as transnational crime groups use new ways to attempt to smuggle the dangerous sedative into the country.
The Australian Border Force (ABF) seized 882kg of ketamine seized last year, marking more than double the 415kg seized in 2022.
Organised crime syndicates are using "more sophisticated" means of concealment as officers work every day to stop the drug at the border, according to ABF.
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"These criminal groups may think they're being clever in the way they try to bring in these harmful substances, but they should know that the ABF is ready to respond," ABF Assistant Commissioner James Watson said.
More than 80kg of ketamine was allegedly found in 79 bags hidden inside the panels of two new commercial vans on board a cargo ship destined for Sydney in July last year.
Three men were charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs and their alleged involvement in the transnational crime syndicate.
In that same month, 145kg of ketamine was allegedly concealed in 40 buckets of liquid micro cement which arrived in Melbourne by sea cargo, including 65kg buried at an address in Lara near Geelong.
Another three men were charged in relation to that investigation.
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In October, a Taiwanese national was charged with attempting to import border controlled drugs after 250g of ketamine was allegedly concealed in capsules inside vitamin bottles in his luggage at Brisbane International Airport.
And most recently on Friday, a United Kingdom national was charged on arrival to Sydney after 20kg of the drug was found allegedly hidden in his suitcases.
The 18-year-old was charged with importing a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs and was refused bail.
The rise in ketamine reaching the borders comes as demand reached a record high in April 2023, according to the latest ACIC National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program report.
Australian Federal Police intelligence, however, has found the drug market for ketamine is still much smaller than others like cocaine and methamphetamine.
