A Mundaring man has been sentenced to five years and two months' imprisonment for his involvement in the 2021 importation of almost 7kg of methamphetamine impregnated in leggings sent from Pakistan.
The man, now 25, is the second person jailed over the failed plot and in handing down the sentence today (29 November, 2024), the Perth District Court ordered he must serve a non-parole period of three years.
The AFP arrested and charged the man on 26 October, 2021, after an investigation that started when Australian Border Force (ABF) officers intercepted an air cargo consignment from Pakistan, which was destined for Scarborough in Western Australia.
A test of the leggings returned a positive reading for methamphetamine and the AFP was immediately alerted.
Forensic testing by the AFP revealed the leggings had liquid methamphetamine soaked into them, which, when extracted, amounted to about 6.8kg of pure methamphetamine. That amount of methamphetamine could have been sold as 68,000 street level deals of 0.1g and was worth an estimated *$6 million.
The AFP substituted the drug-soaked leggings with other clothing and arranged for the consignment to be delivered as intended to a property in Scarborough.
The man, 25, was waiting in a car outside the property and told the courier he was there to collect the package for a friend.
He put the package in his car, sent a photograph of it to another man and then drove home to Mundaring, where he placed the package in his bedroom and covered it with blankets.
The other man who had been sent the photo arrived at the home shortly afterwards.
AFP officers, who had been monitoring the movement of the package, executed a search warrant at the home and arrested the two men.
When investigators searched the 25-year-old's bedroom, they found the substituted consignment and a mobile device that had messages between the two men about the package. Police also found a shoebox containing $12,000 cash.
Both men were charged with one count of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border controlled drug, contrary to sections 11.1(1) and 307.5(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).
The Mundaring man was also charged with one count of dealing with money reasonably suspected to be the proceeds of crime, which is less than $100,000, contrary to section 400.9(1A) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).
Both men pleaded guilty to the charges they faced.
The Mundaring man was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for the drug offence and two months' imprisonment for the proceeds of crime charge. The Court ordered the seized money be forfeited to the Commonwealth.
The Stoneville man, now 27, was sentenced on 12 December, 2023, to five years' imprisonment with a non-parole period of three years.
AFP Inspector Chris Colley said the AFP and ABF worked closely to disrupt the illicit drug trade and protect the community.
"Methamphetamine is an extremely addictive drug which causes social, psychological and financial harm to users and those around them," Inspector Colley said.
"The AFP and our partners are committed to stopping those who seek to profit at the expense of our communities."
ABF Superintendent James Payne said his officers worked closely with federal and global law enforcement partners to ensure the security of the Australian community.
"ABF officers are highly skilled and have a range of tools at their disposal to protect the community," Superintendent Payne said.
"This is another example of our ability to prevent illicit substances from reaching Australian families and causing harm.
"This result should serve as a warning to those thinking of importing illicit substances that no matter how you attempt to smuggle drugs into Australia the ABF and our partners will be waiting."
*Source: ACIC drug calculator
