Two Iranian men have been charged with smuggling $16 million worth of opium into Melbourne inside part of a roadworks machine.
Authorities discovered 12.4kg of opium resin in the base of an asphalt compacting machine which arrived by air from Turkey on January 9.
Federal police converged on the planned delivery address at St Albans in Melbourne's west on Thursday, where two men, aged 22 and 38, accepted the machine before driving it to another home at nearby Burnside Heights.
Two Iranian men have been charged after allegedly smuggling $16 million worth of opium into Melbourne inside part of a roadworks machine
Authorities discovered 12.4kg of opium resin in the base of an asphalt compacting machine which arrived by air from Turkey on January 9
They were arrested and charged with importing and possessing a marketable quantity of a border-controlled drug.
The bust prompted a message from Australian Border Force acting Commander Mark Colbran to the would-be smugglers.
'You will get caught and may face significant time in prison,' he stated on Friday.
The Iranian nationals were identified as Nader Khanmohammadi Ahmad Abad, 38, and Saeid Balagar, 22, Herald Sun reports.
Abad had already left for work Thursday when his younger accomplice was arrested, but he was taken into custody later in the day.
Both men were remanded Friday night for file hearings Monday.
They were arrested and charged with importing and possessing a marketable quantity of a border-controlled drug
The Iranian nationals were identified as Nader Khanmohammadi Ahmad Abad, 38, and Saeid Balagar, 22