ECSTASY: AUSTRALIAN HELD

An Australian journalist has been arrested in north-east Italy in
connection with what is said to be the world's biggest shipment of ecstasy.

The Guardian newspaper reported that the 30-year-old Sydney man and a
26-year-old Briton were arrested on Monday near the town of Udine.

The report said police seized 333,000 ecstasy tablets with a street value
of STG4 million ($A10.8 million) from the back of the British suspect's car.

It said the shipment was on the way from Holland to America, but did not
specify the destination.

The Australian suspect was not named, but The Guardian said he lived in Los
Angeles and had allegedly flown to Italy to collect the tablets.

Police were said to have tapped his mobile phone.

A third man, known as Dave, was alleged to have coordinated the
arrangements from the US, but he had not been traced.

"This is the largest ecstasy seizure ever carried out in Europe and perhaps
in the world," Italian officials said in a statement.

Colonel Carlo Germi, of the revenue guard in Udine, said it was believed
the Briton bought the drugs in Holland and had held them for two months
before transporting them to Italy.

Prosecutors said the arrests were part of a police operation that had
already led to 35 arrests for drug trafficking in Italy.