Canadian national charged over $22m of ice allegedly hidden in luggage at Melbourne Airport

A 76-year-old Canadian national who touched down in Australia last week is now in custody after an allegedly dramatic find in his shoe boxes.

A Canadian national has been charged over a $22 million ice haul found hidden inside his luggage at Melbourne Airport.

A Canadian national has been charged over a $22 million ice haul allegedly hidden inside shoeboxes in his luggage at Melbourne Airport.

The 76-year-man had flown in from Los Angeles on Wednesday, when quarantine officials examined his large suitcase and found a crystalline substance in about seven shoeboxes.

Australian Border Force officers did a preliminary test which revealed the substance was methamphetamine.

The 24kg haul is the equivalent of about 240,000 street details.

The man claimed the substance was salt, it will be alleged in court.

The shoeboxes containing the alleged hidden crystal meth at Melbourne Airport. Source: AFP

The man has been charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, namely methamphetamine, and faces a maximum penalty of life in jail.

He was remanded in custody after briefly appearing at the Melbourne Magistrates Court.

He will next appear in court in September.

AFP Detective Inspector Chris Salmon said further arrests had not been ruled out.

“It is rare that one individual can organise the purchase, importation and distribution of such a large quantity of illicit drugs; there is often an organised criminal syndicate operating behind such drug importations,” he said.

Further arrests have not been ruled out. Source: AFP

ABF Acting Superintendent Aviation Operations Claudine Lupton said its well trained officers had many detection methods to uncover the large quantities of illicit substances coming into the country every day.

“No matter how those drugs are hidden, our officers have the technology and expertise to find them,” Superintendent Lupton said.

“Ice destroys communities and tears families apart.

“This is a significant seizure and I hope this sends a strong message to those attempting to bring illicit drugs into the country – we will find you and you will be prosecuted.”

Originally published as Canadian national charged over $22m of ice allegedly hidden in luggage at Melbourne Airport