Prosecutors in Australia have charged two Canadian nationals with drug trafficking offences after 16kgs of methamphetamine was allegedly found stashed in their luggage by customs workers as they passed through Melbourne Airport.
The man and woman, aged 27 and 26 respectively, were stopped by officers from Australian Border Force (ABF) when they arrived at the airport on a flight from Vancouver.
A customs officer is said to have singled the couple out for a baggage search based on “intuition”, and referred them for more detailed investigation when one of the man’s suitcases appeared to still be unusually heavy once it had been emptied of its contents.
After taking an x-ray of their luggage, customs agents discovered anomalies in the liming of four of their bags.
On further inspection, officers discovered a bag of white crystalline material in the lining of the luggage that tests later confirmed was methamphetamine.
In total, customs agents found four 1kg bags of methamphetamine in the lining of each of the bags that were found to contain anomalies.
The man and woman were handed over to the Australian Federal Police (AFP), which charged the pair with one count of importing methamphetamine in a commercial quantity, and two counts of possessing methamphetamine in a commercial quantity.
If found guilty of these charges, the Canadian nationals, who were remanded in custody to appear before Victoria Magistrate’s Court in May, could be jailed for life.
In a statement, AFP Southern Command Acting Commander of Investigations Jayne Crossling said the operation was an example of how “highly effective detection capabilities combined with investigative efforts could bring about successful operational outcomes”.
“The AFP is continuing its enquiries into the source of this drug importation to target and identify organised criminal networks using couriers to profit from potentially vulnerable and drug-impacted individuals,” she added.
Separately, the AFP has revealed that five people have been charged after officers found more than one tonne of MDMA in a shipping container that arrived in Sydney from South Korea in January.
The huge shipment of drugs was found in several pallets laden with 648 plastic tubs labelled as tile adhesive.
In 176 of these, police found bags of powder that tests later confirmed was MDMA, the main ingredient in ecstasy.
According to ABF Acting Commander Investigations Garry Low, the shipment was targeted based on a tip-off from the Department of Home Affairs.
“This detection is the second biggest MDMA seizure in Sydney,” he said in a statement.
“Every day, ABF officers go to work determined to protect Australia from these harmful substances and cases like these show their hard work and dedication pays off.”
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