A New South Wales man is expected to face Perth Magistrates Court today (22 November, 2024) charged with allegedly trying to import about 3kg of methamphetamine into Australia, concealed in a backpack.
The AFP arrested and charged the man, 77, on 23 October, 2024, after Australian Border Force (ABF) officers at Perth Airport allegedly found the illicit drugs when he arrived on a flight from Thailand.
When ABF officers examined the man's luggage, they allegedly detected anomalies in a laptop backpack. This included the unusual weight of what was an empty bag, a strong smell of glue and irregularities around the seams.
An ABF narcotic-trained detection dog also provided a positive reaction to the backpack.
Upon further inspection, ABF officers allegedly found two packages containing a white crystalline substance concealed in the backpack's lining.
They immediately alerted the AFP and forensics tests allegedly showed there was about 3kg of methamphetamine in total.
The AFP charged the man with one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, namely methamphetamine, contrary to subsection 307.1 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).
He first appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on (24 October, 2024) and is expected to appear again today.
The AFP, through its international network, is investigating the source of the drugs.
AFP acting Superintendent Chris Colley said the AFP and ABF worked tirelessly to ensure criminal syndicates did not exploit international air travel to traffic illicit drugs into Australia.
"If 3kg of methamphetamine had reached the community, it could have facilitated at least 30,000 street deals of 0.1g, worth an estimated $2,775,000*," a/Supt Colley said.
"Across Australia, there were 10,100 methamphetamine-related hospitalisations in 2021-2022 - which equates to more than 27 every day, on average. This has an impact on the health system that can negatively affect the entire community**.
"Methamphetamine and other illicit drugs cause immense health, social and financial harms, which is why the AFP and our partners work tirelessly to stop these substances from reaching Australia."
ABF acting Superintendent John Sweet said officers were highly adept at identifying suspicious activity at the airport, using sophisticated detection methods combined with good old fashioned officer intuition.
"This detection should serve as a warning to all travellers, regardless of age, who wish to run the gauntlet and attempt to bypass our border controls - we will stop you in your tracks and together with our law enforcement partners we will ensure you find yourself before the courts," a/Supt Sweet said.
*Source: ACIC Illicit Drug Calculator
**Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2024 analysis.
