Bosnian-born beauty is charged over $300M of ice imported into Australia inside sriracha bottles – after cops seized guns, drugs and $650,000 from her home.
A young Sydney woman will spend Christmas behind bars over her alleged role in the importation of the drug ice concealed in bottles of chilli sauce.
Bosnian-born Aleksija Vracar, 24, was charged with a string of offences after detectives seized three firearms, nearly $650,000 cash, and two kilograms of ecstasy at her western Sydney unit on Thursday.
The raid was part of an ongoing investigation into the importation of methylamphetamine concealed in bottles of sriracha intercepted by Australian Border Force officers when it arrived at a Sydney freight depot in October.
Police allege the air cargo consignment from the US contained 768 bottles of the sauce with testing returning a positive indicator for methylamphetamine, also known as the drug ‘ice’.
A preliminary forensic analysis determined the bottles contained about 400kg of methylamphetamine with an estimated street value of more than $300 million.
In a joint agency operation, four men aged 30, 34, 36 and 45 were arrested and charged, who remain before the courts.
Following further investigations, detectives visited Vracar’s Merrylands unit on Thursday morning to question her about an alleged plot to use fake identification to import drugs and execute a search warrant.
Instead, they found $644,000 cash stashed in shopping bags, an envelope a shoebox and handbag, two kilograms of ecstasy, 250g of cocaine, 340g of cannabis, mobile phones, SIM cards, drug paraphernalia and various documents.
Police found a .22 calibre shortened bolt action rifle and a semiautomatic pistol hidden in a suitcase in a bedroom while a second semi-automatic pistol was found in a vacuum-sealed bag, The Sunday Telegraph reported.
The estimated street value of the drugs seized was almost $200,000.
Police allege Vracar used fraudulent identification to set-up four businesses to assist with the importation of illicit drugs.
She was charged with four counts of possession of identity information to commit indicatable offence, knowingly deal with proceeds of crime, possess unauthorized prohibited firearm, two counts of possession of an unauthorised pistol, not keep firearm safely- prohibited firearm, possess ammunition without holding licence/permit/authority, and three counts of supply of a prohibited drug.
Vracar has not been charged with drug importation charges.
She was refused bail and appeared at Fairfield Local Court on Friday where she was refused bail.
Vracar will appear at Parramatta Local Court on January 30.
Investigations are ongoing as part of Strike Force Diffey, which was set up investigate coordinated money laundering across Sydney and the importation and supply of illicit drugs into NSW.
