MORE than 300kg of the destructive drug ice has been stopped from making its way to South Australia — the largest haul of methamphetamine in the state’s history.

The huge seizure, which was discovered in crane jibs last month, has a street value of $270m and was imported by an organised criminal syndicate, police say.

Three men were charged over the alleged importation.

Reginald Roberts, 64, of Waterloo Corner, Steven Sherriff, 61, of Two Wells and Bill Mayne, 45, of Two Wells, appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday.

Roberts and Sherriff did not make applications for bail, but Mayne was released on bail without opposition from the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.

All men will re-appear in court in April.

SA Police were first to become aware of the sea-cargo shipment and notified Australian Border Force.

They then intercepted the consignment — which authorities believe originated from Southeast Asia — containing two crane jibs on January 24.

Officers discovered 313 clip seal bags containing white crystals, carefully hidden inside the metal base attached to one of the jib arms.

After returning a positive result for crystal methamphetamine, the drugs were swapped with decoys that would not raise suspicions.

Roberts, Sherriff and Mayne were arrested together Friday at Waterloo Corner in Adelaide’s north.

Officers then swooped on two other properties at Green Fields and Two Wells. The substitute packages were found at Green Fields.

All three men were charged with attempted possession of a commercial quantity of a controlled drug.

Roberts and Sherriff were also charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug.

The pair could face life behind bars if found guilty.

AFP Assistant Commissioner for Organised Crime and Cyber Neil Gaughan called the bust “fantastic” but said the real work would now begin.

“The men involved in the importation were aiming to make some substantial profits, now they have no product, they have no profit, they have no future,” he said.

“And indeed they’ll probably spend the rest of their lives in jail.

“They took a gamble and they lost and they lost in a big way.”

“The AFP will work with its international partners to determine where these drugs have come from and we’ll work with our international partners to disrupt the drugs making at its source.”

In places like Southeast Asia, a kilogram of high purity ice can be bought for as little as $1000.

While the 313kg haul is the biggest amount of the drug destined for South Australia according to the AFP, it isn’t Australia’s largest seizure.

In December, eight men were charged after a record 1.2 tonnes of methamphetamine was found on a boat at the port of Geraldton in Western Australia.

Its street value was estimated at over $1 billion. Two of the eight men caught were South Australian.

It is believed the previous record seizure for South Australia was the 119kg seized from bikie associates in April last year.

Investigators will now focus on distribution networks operating in SA and tracing the origin of the ice.

SA Police Assistant Commissioner Scott Duval said the latest bust should serve as a warning to all organised criminals.

The joint investigation into the trio pulled resources from Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force, SA Police, Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and the Australian Taxation Office.