Powdered heroin is pictured in this undated handout photo courtesy of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.
Powdered heroin is pictured in this undated handout photo courtesy of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. U Reuters/US DEA/Handout via Reu

Sydney police arrested in Fairfield on Thursday two men who attempted to bring into the country over 100 kilogrammes of heroin and methamphetamines worth $75 million by disguising it as liquid in ice packs hidden under frozen fish fillets from Malaysia.

The Herald Sun identified the arrested drug smugglers as a 55- and 57-year-old Vietnamese/Canadian national who arrived in Australia in early September. Police said they brought in 88 kilogrammes of heroin and 22 kilogrammes of meth.

Police estimate the drugs they seized from the Fairfield house of the two men would be equal to 780,000 street deals of heroin and 200,000 of ice. The confiscation was the result of joint operation that involved the federal police, Customs, New South Wales police, the Australian Crime Commission and NSW Crime Commission.

The two appeared on Friday before the Sydney Central Local Court.

Besides the smuggled drugs, there is a surge in prescription opioid abuse in Australia from doctors. Some of the more known brands are Oxycontin, Endone and Targin. However, observers have noticed the shift from lawfully manufactured substances to heroin, which the Australian Crime Commission is preparing for a boost of heroin trade in Australia.

"There's a large increase in heroin use now in USA, and both the administrator of the DEA and the FBI director, both were advising me, 'Look, watch out. There's a trend there that we've seen happen in the States which we would expect would come in Australia,'" said Chris Dawson, the new CEO of the Australian Crime Commission.