Australia seizes souvenirs filled with USD 1mn of liquid meth
Sydney: A total of 7.5 litres of liquid ice worth USD 1 million was found concealed in a shipment of souvenir snow globes headed for Australia, authorities said on Wednesday. The drugs, which are a form of methamphetamine, were intercepted by the Australian Border Force (ABF) officers in Sydney who referred the case to the Australian Federal Police. Inside one of the snow globes shown to media by ABF stands a cartoonish white llama next to a green cactus. When shaken, gold and silver glitter swirls and floats in the usually benign clear liquid. The snow globes were X-rayed and when ABF officers tested the liquid it showed a positive result for methamphetamine, 9news.com reported. Australian Federal Police have now launched an investigation into the shipment. Snow globes are popular among children, and the ABF regional commander New South Wales, Danielle Yannopoulos, said that the bust highlights the significant role which ABF officers play in protecting the community from illicit substances. “Our officers work tirelessly to prevent these harmful drugs from making it into Australian communities, and I’m proud of the results they continue to achieve,” Yannopoulos said. She said that the ABF continues to improve its capabilities, allowing them to see further into every package than ever before. “Our officers continue to prove, time and time again, that criminals who attempt to hide these substances in new and imaginative ways are wasting their time. It doesn’t matter how clever you think your concealment is – we can find it.” (PTI)
Rare Nike trainers sold for USD 437,500 in New York
New York: A rare pair of Nike’s “Moon Shoe” designed by the sportswear giant’s co-founder has sold for a record-breaking USD 437,500, breaking the world auction record for a pair of sneakers, according to New York auction house Sotheby’s. They were the last shoes to sell in an auction of 100 pairs of trainers – from Adidas to Air Jordans – in New York. The waffle-soled running shoes were designed by Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman for the 1972 Olympic Trials. They’re one of 12 pairs ever made and the only known unworn set. The 1972 Nike Waffle Racing Flat Moon Shoe was expected to fetch USD 160,000. But Canadian collector Miles Nadal purchased them on Tuesday for USD 437,500, Sotheby’s said. Nadal plans to display the sneakers at his private museum in Toronto – the Dare to Dream Automobile Museum. He said he was thrilled at his purchase, calling the Moon Shoe a “true historical artefact in sports history and pop culture”, the BBC reported. “I think sneaker culture and collecting is on the verge of a breakout moment,” he added, saying he plans to display them, along with the other 99 pairs he bought last week, at his private automobile museum in Toronto. The previous world auction record was set in 2017 at USD 190,373, for a pair of signed Converse that Michael Jordan wore in the 1984 Olympic basketball final, the auction house said in a statement. Bowerman was inspired to create the waffle sole traction pattern for Nike’s early running shoes by experimenting with his wife’s waffle iron, pouring rubber into the mold to create the first prototype of the sole. The starting price for the Moon Shoe was USD 80,000, and the final sale price shattered the pre-sale estimate of USD 160,000. The shoes were part of Sotheby’s “Stadium Goods: the Ultimate Sneaker Collection” online auction. (IANS)