On Friday, in well-orchestrated dawn raids, 70 Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers raided two Whites Road, Tharbogang addresses and homes in Wyangan Avenue and North Grove Drive.

The arrests relate to a June 2007 Customs seizure of almost 20 million ecstasy tablets and 150kg of cocaine, and have sparked wild national media speculation

about Griffith’s links to organised crime.

The drugs are valued at an estimated street value of $600 million and were shipped to Melbourne from Italy in tomato cans.

Among the 20 arrested nationwide were alleged mastermind Pasquale “Garbo” Barbaro, 46, of Tharbogang, who faced Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of MDMA (ecstasy), trafficking MDMA, and aiding and abetting the import of cocaine.

Three other local men – Saverio “Puss” Zirilli, 51, of Tharbogang, Pasquale “Poppy” Sergi, 45, of Griffith and Dominic “Bubbles” Barbaro, 31, of Lake Wyangan – were all charged with the same offences as Pasquale Barbaro.

Zirilli had an additional charge of conspiracy to import precursor.

About $140,000 in cash and a horde of weapons was found at one local address.

The AFP operation involved 185,000 telephone intercepts, 3600 hours of listening device recordings, 20,000 hours of covert surveillance and 100 search warrants.

AFP Chief Commissioner Mick Keelty said the syndicate represented 60 per cent of all ecstasy imports into south-east Australia.

“This is part of a global international syndicate,” Mr Keelty said.

“This is a major disruption in transnational organised crime …”

Among the other arrests were founder of the Black Uhlans bikie gang John Higgs and Melbourne man Rob Karam, who allegedly used a corrupt network of dock and freight workers to smuggle the drugs.

Dominic Barbaro will front Wagga court today.

The other three men were not granted bail and will reappear in a Melbourne court on March 26.