Most Australians have heard of rice noodles, but some customs officers have discovered "ice" noodles, finding hundreds of kilograms of the drug concealed in a shipment of food.
Alarm bells were sounded in late July after border force officers spotted a suspicious substance inside a consignment of noodles and Asian spices flown into Sydney from California.
Forensic testing returned a positive reading for methamphetamine, with officers estimating the shipment contained up to 300kg of the insidious drug.
Authorities believe methamphetamine has an estimated street value of about $100,000 per kilogram, meaning the importation could be worth around $30 million.
State and federal police tracked the consignment to a property in the Sydney suburb of Canley Vale on Thursday afternoon.
Two men, aged 42 and 53, were arrested as officers raided three properties across Bonnyrigg and Canley Vale.
The pair were charged with importing and attempting to possess a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs.
Both men are due to face Sydney Central Local Court on Friday, and face the prospect of life behind bars if found guilty.
Police are now working with international partners to bust a criminal syndicate they believe is behind the importation.
"Stopping this importation has not only potentially saved lives, it has damaged a syndicate who will not receive the profit from their illicit drug trade," Australian Federal Police commander Peter Bodel said.
