Australian police claim to have smashed an international drug syndicate in the country's biggest city Sydney.<br/> <br />Police said on Tuesday that they seized half a tonne of illicit drugs worth up to 525 million U.S. dollars, and arrested seven alleged smugglers.<br/> <br />They seized 206 kilos of crystal methamphetamine and 252 kilos of heroin - it's the largest seizure of crystal meth and the third largest heroin seizure in Australian Federal Police history.<br/> <br />Four of those arrested are from Hong Kong, and three are Australian nationals.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, ANDREW COLVIN, SAYING:<br/> <br />"We are confident that we have got the people responsible for this importation. It's easy to say the 'Mr. Bigs'. At the end of the day there's a lot of 'Mr. Mediums' and 'Mr. Littles' that work with 'Mr. Big'. I think we've got a good combination of the people responsible for this importation."<br/> <br />The seizure comes a year after police began investigating the drug syndicate after receiving tips from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.<br/> <br />The contraband was found hidden in terracotta pots arriving on ships in Sydney.<br/> <br />Travis Brecher, Reuters
