Oz police crack world record 440 million dollar Ecstasy racket

Sydney, Aug.8 : Police in New South Wales have extradited a man from Sydney to Melbourne today after he was charged with involvement in what federal police are calling a world-record importation of ecstasy.

Severico Domenicio Zirilli, 51, was arrested in Sydney this morning and charged over the importation of 4.4 tonnes - 15 million pills - of ecstasy in June last year. The consignment is said to be worth 440 million dollars.

Zirilli, from Tharbogang, outside of Griffith in the state's west, was charged with conspiring to import the ecstasy along with "Pasquale Barbaro and others'', documents tendered at Central local court this morning state.

Barbaro, 46, also from Tharbogang, was arrested in Melbourne this morning in relation to the importation.

There have been four New South Welshmen arrested over the importation, with three - Zirilli, Barbaro and 45-year-old Pat Sergi from Griffith - charged and another unnamed man assisting federal police with their inquiries.

A total of fifteen people were arrested in the raids conducted earlier today in NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. Today, the Australian Federal Police raided the properties of up to sixteen suspects.

ANI