Kids’ book drug importer hit with marketable quantity cocaine charge
From the outside they look like your average children’s books about princesses, elephants and fairies. But police allege they found cocaine worth a motza inside the pages.
Wentworth Courier
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Police have settled on charges for a man accused of importing more than $600,000 of cocaine inside children’s books sent from Portugal this year.
Luiz Diego Mouzinho de Lima has been on remand since his arrest in May following the discovery of drugs hidden within postal packages intercepted at Sydney Airport.
At Central Local Court on Wednesday the 31-year-old’s charge of importing a commercial quantity of drugs was altered to importing a marketable quantity of drugs.
Police allege in court documents Mouzinho de Lima was involved in the plan between April 29 and May 10 of this year.
About 1.72kg of drugs were found in two consignments stopped by Australian Border Force officers, police allege, concealed in the linings of several illustrated kids’ books about princesses, elephants and fairies.
The books arrived in two shipments, on May 1 and May 4, according to police.
It will be alleged the packages were X-rayed and inspected by ABF officers at the International Mail Gateway in Sydney, where presumptive tests returned positive results for cocaine.
In total the drugs allegedly seized were valued at $645,000.
Mouzinho de Lima was arrested during a raid of his unit on Old South Head Rd, Vaucluse on May 10 and has remained in custody since.
During the search, police allegedly located and seized electronic items and documents, as well as a small amount of cannabis.
He was also issued two cannabis cautions.
The matter will return to court on January 15, when Mouzinho de Lima is expected to enter a plea.