<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australian border force officials have seized more ketamine in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/sydney" rel="" target="" title="Sydney"><span>Sydney</span></a><span> and </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/melbourne" rel="" target="" title="Melbourne"><span>Melbourne</span></a><span> in January than they did across Australia for the entire year of 2022.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>More than 438kg of the illicit party drug was seized in dozens of consignments from December 31 to January 31, which represents an alarming new trend for authorities.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Police said this amount of ketamine represented more than 8.5 million street‑level drug deals.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/chris-baghsarian-police-search-turns-to-glenorie-bushland/d43cafd9-53ed-44e2-b9e7-275eb3d90441"><strong><span>Search for kidnapped grandfather Chris Baghsarian centres on dense bushland</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/shots-fired-tobacco-store-glenroy-victoria/0f4d70b7-0af8-446e-87e7-e58614ebaafc" rel="" target="" title=""><strong><span>Tobacco store hit by arson attacks now target of shooting</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Authorities previously seized more than 880kg of ketamine in 2023, while the total number of seizures recorded nationally in 2022.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The latest seizures were found in small garden statues and various toys including a teddy bear and a package declared as aquarium gravel.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/crime-border-force-officials-foil-attempts-to-smuggle-75-million-worth-of-ketamine-into-australia/81de7728-e15d-4492-91fc-cd49a33f3d34" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australian Border Force Trade </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/new-south-wales" rel="" target="" title="NSW"><span>NSW</span></a><span> Commander Kari Ellis said the drugs taken from the borders in January put a "significant dent" in the supply chain for organised criminal syndicates.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The scale and frequency of recent seizures highlight the ABF's ability to detect the diverse and increasingly sophisticated methods criminals use to smuggle drugs into our country," Ellis said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Criminal syndicates diversify what commodity they are attempting to bring over the border; they don't care about the harm it causes to the community, they only care about profits.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Ketamine is a dangerous sedative used illicitly as a party drug.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Its dissociative effects may lead to memory impairment, a sense of detachment from one's own body, and an inability to recognise dangerous situations.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"These detections demonstrate the strength of the ABF's domestic and international partnerships, leading to intelligence-driven intercepts and hundreds of kilos of illicit drugs being removed from circulation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Criminal networks should take note: Australia is not a safe gateway for drug trafficking.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Our expertise and advanced detection systems make it clear, we will stop these drugs before they harm the Australian community."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>