Police had watched him bury a total of 15kg of meth in bushland in a surveillance operation
Police in Australia have released photos of the moment a drug trafficker realised his $9.4m (£5.4m) meth stash had vanished.
Personal trainer and vape shop owner Christian Tachev was the victim of a sting operation by Australian Federal Police (AFP), and has been sentenced to 11 years behind bars for his role in a “sophisticated” drug syndicate in Western Australia.
Tachev had been under police surveillance when he drove into suburban bushland, with police watching him move around 15kg of methamphetamine and cash around Perth.
In March 2021, they watched as he buried “about 10 kilograms of methamphetamine in bush in Edgewater” shortly before it was collected by a senior Hells Angels Outlaw Motorcycle Gang member, who was promptly arrested and the drugs seized.
Police then searched another area that Tachev had visited earlier that day, and found a black bag containing 5kg of meth, which was also seized by police.
Police dug up a black bag containing 5kg of meth that had been buried by Tachev (Australian Federal Police)After obtaining a surveillance warrant, they set up a camera to catch the 25-year-old when he returned for his stash.
Of course, Tachev returned and began digging in search of the drugs, which had already been seized by police.
Pictures show the drug trafficker with his hands on his hips as he starts to wonder where the drugs have gone.
A confused Tachev wonders where the bag has gone (Australian Federal Police)Eventually, he departed the scene, with detectives trailing him. They later watched him place around half a million dollars in the boot of his car.
Eventually, the personal trainer leaves the scene empty-handed (Australian Federal Police)On April 6 2021, he was arrested at his vape shop, with officers finding “$17,355 cash, a hand shovel and dirty gardening gloves in a bag in his car.”
He was charged with one count of commercial drug trafficking and one count of dealing with the proceeds of crime.
Earlier this week (April 5), he was sentenced to 11 years in prison after he pled guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering.
The court was told that Tachev was sent GPS coordinates by his boss that told him where to pick up and drop off drugs.
AFP Senior Constable Josh Gilmour said the 15kg of meth seized by police could have been sold to 150,000 people in street deals.
He added: “People who move cash and drugs for criminal syndicates play a vital role in helping other members to profit from this damaging trade. The AFP and our partners are working tirelessly to stop drugs from reaching our community and arresting those involved in the distribution.”
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