Van with $140M of meth smashes into police car

SYDNEY — Australian authorities have uncovered a US$140 million stash of amphetamines after an alleged criminal’s run-in with the law saw his drug-filled van crash into an officer’s car outside a police station.

Security camera footage released Tuesday showed a white van plowing into the front of a vehicle parked outside a suburban Sydney police station before speeding off down the street.

Police said the alleged 26-year-old driver was pulled over about an hour later, less than a 10-minute drive away from the accident scene.

The van was said to be packed with moving boxes containing 237 kilograms (523 pounds) of methylamphetamine, an illegal drug commonly known as “ice’, with a total estimated street value of AUS$200 million.

Australia has a growing problem with meth, with a government report released last year showing the country has proportionally more users than most nations.

The van driver has been charged with large commercial drug supply, negligent driving, and not giving particulars to police.

He was due to appear in a Sydney court later on Tuesday. No one was injured in the incident. /kga