More than a quarter of a tonne of ice – enough, police say for 2.5 million hits - has been seized in Victoria's biggest drug haul of the year.
Seven Australians and one Malaysian national, aged between 24 and 32, have been charged over the bust.
Police estimate the street value of the ice to be about $275 million.
Some of the drugs were in bags labelled 'Udon Noodles'.
The drugs, originating from China, were found hidden in packets labelled "Udon Noodles'' under the floorboards of three shipping containers which arrived in Melbourne about June 19.
The shipping containers had been used to house metal pallets.
The containers were delivered to an industrial estate in Bayswater, after which search warrants were carried out in South Yarra, Brunswick, Braybrook, Bayswater, Box Hill and Glen Waverley.
AFP officers with one of the people held in connection with the drug haul.
Three men have been charged with commercial drug importation and the other five were charged with attempting to possess and trafficking a commercial quantity of methamphetamine.
Five men, including the Malaysian national, will appear in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday, while the remaining three will appear in court in October.
The operation was launched in February and was a multi-agency investigation involving the Victoria Joint Organised Crime Task Force and the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre.
It was Victoria's biggest drug haul of the year.
AFP Assistant Commissioner Ian McCartney said the seizure would prevent widespread drug use.
"We will be relentless in our pursuit of organised crime," he said.
"This result is a clear example of what the combined powers of all of our agencies can achieve.
Seven Australians and a Malaysian have been have been charged over the bust.
"The persistence and dedication of police and partner agencies has seen the interception and future destruction of more than 2½ million hits of this insidious drug."
Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Crime Command Stephen Fontana said demand for the drug was causing immeasurable damage to communities.
The drugs were found under the shipping containers' floorboards
"As long as there is demand, there will be a market which in turn cannot be measured in the harm transferred through to our community, our families and our loved ones," he said.
"Further addiction, road trauma, violent and volume crime, domestic violence, all of us, are affected by an insidious revolving cycle."
Investigations are ongoing.
Source: theage.com.au