Drug-smuggling syndicate smashed

A drug-trafficking syndicate has been broken up after the recipient of a 12.5 kilogram package of methamphetamines was arrested in Perth.

The parcel was sent from Sydney in late April and intercepted by police, who switched the contents with an inert substance.

A 41-year-old Gold Coast man was arrested as he picked up the parcel in Perth on Sunday.

His home in Broadbeach, Queensland was searched and police seized mobile phones, precursor chemicals, manufacturing equipment and an estimated $1 million in cash.

A 35-year-old man was arrested a short time later and police raided his home in Londonderry, in Sydney's west.

It took police two days to sift through the large quantity of drugs discovered at the property.

Drugs manufacturing equipment, a sawn-off shotgun, ammunition, mobile phones and an estimated $1.5 million in cash were also seized at the home.

Additional search warrants were executed at six properties in Sydney and Perth, and altogether police seized nearly 100kg of methamphetamine, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine and precursor chemicals.

The two arrested men were charged with attempting to traffic commercial quantities of controlled drugs and they appeared in Sydney and Perth courts on Monday.