A Canadian man was arrested in Australia and accused of being a representative of a “high-level transnational organized crime syndicate” that imported 645 kilograms of ecstasy cleverly hidden inside a shipment for barbecues.
The Canadian flew to Australia a week ago and the day after he arrived went to a warehouse to inspect the cargo, police allege. Unbeknownst to him, however, the shipment had been intercepted by Australian authorities, the drugs replaced with fakes and officers lay in wait.
Laert Kasaj, 33, of Thornhill, Ont, north of Toronto was arrested Monday.
He is one of two men arrested so far in the large probe.
“We’ve been able to ascertain that this is truly an international syndicate — that the drugs came from Cyprus, we have inquiries in the U.K., we have a man who’s come from Canada and we’ve arrested a person in Brisbane,” said Kirsty Schofield, commander of the organized crime division of the Australian Border Force.
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