SYDNEY, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in Western Australia (WA) have charged three people following a 25-million-U.S. dollar drug bust with a fourth dying in custody.
Police confirmed on Thursday that charges were laid over the raids on Monday that recovered 32 kg of methamphetamine, 1.8 kg of cocaine, 300 g of MDMA or ecstasy and more than 500,000 U.S. dollars in cash.
The charges came after it was confirmed on Wednesday that a 27-year-old man who was also arrested in relation to the raids had fallen ill and died while in custody.
His death is being investigated by WA's Homicide Squad and Internal Affairs Unit which is treating it as a death in custody.
The amount of methamphetamine seized in the raids represented 320,000 individual hits of meth, a drug which has ravaged the Australian state.
"I don't need to spell out the destructive nature of methamphetamine and what effect it's having on our community," Assistant Police Commissioner Michelle Fyfe told reporters on Thursday.
"Preventing 320,000 hits of meth from reaching our streets is a great outcome for the people of Western Australia."
The three men, aged 27, 27 and 23 respectively, faced a total of 21 charges including possessing prohibited drugs with intent to sell or supply, possession of illegal firearms and possession of stolen property.
