US woman allegedly caught with 12kg worth of cocaine at Melb hotel following AFP investigation

A hotel-hopping US woman is facing potential life imprisonment after allegedly smuggling bags packed with cocaine into Melbourne CBD.

Australian Federal Police have allegedly seized 12kg of cocaine believed to have been smuggled into the Mlebourne by a US woman. Picture: Blake Foden

A hotel-hopping US woman faces potential life imprisonment after allegedly smuggling 12kg of cocaine into Melbourne CBD.

The woman, 34, arrived in Australia in early February before coming to the attention of the Australian Border Force and Australian Federal Police.

AFP investigators tracked the woman as she allegedly checked into several hotels in the city.

Police swooped in when the woman returned to one of the hotels on Friday, where they allegedly found 12kg worth of blocks of compressed white powder — which tested as cocaine -—inside luggage believed to belong to the US traveller.

Forensic investigators are performing further tests on the substance to determine its exact weight and purity.

The woman was charged with one count of importation of a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug and one count of possessing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug reasonably suspected of being unlawfully imported.

Both charges carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Australian Federal Police superintendent Rick Briggs said the negative impact that illicit drugs had on the Australian community “cannot be underestimated”.

“Our inquiries into this matter remain ongoing, and we will be looking to establish exactly what role this woman had in what we allege is a criminal network with the means and resources to import significant quantities of drugs into Australia,” he said.

The woman was expected to appear before the Melbourne Magistrates court on Saturday.

Originally published as US woman allegedly caught with 12kg worth of cocaine at Melb hotel following AFP investigation