CANBERRA, ACT, May 6 -- Australian Federal Police issued the following media release:

This is a joint media release between the Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force

Editor's note: Audio grabs and images of 1,4-Butanediol available via Hightail.

It's a substance found in industrial cleaning products, biodegradable plastics and even spandex.

However, the chemical solvent 1,4-Butanediol (1,4-BD) has an insidious secondary use that shatters lives, facilitates crime and devastates communities.

It's hitting Australian shores in a tidal wave of illegal importation, with more than 3.8 tonnes of 1,4-BD already seized in 2025*.

Since 1 March, 2024, changes to Commonwealth legislation resulted in 1,4-BD being listed as a border-...