New Zealand national charged after allegedly smuggling 20kg of cocaine through Sydney Airport
A New Zealand national has been charged after Australian Border Force officers allegedly found 20kg of cocaine hidden in his luggage at Sydney Airport.
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A New Zealand man has been charged with allegedly attempting to smuggle 20kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of $6.5 million into Australia, concealed in his luggage at Sydney Airport.
Australian Border Force officers allegedly detected the illicit drugs on Saturday after selecting the 21-year-old man for a baggage examination upon his arrival on a flight from the United States.
Officers discovered 22 vacuum-sealed packages of a white substance hidden in his suitcase.
Initial testing returned a positive result for cocaine, and the ABF alerted the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
The AFP charged the man with one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, contrary to section 307.1 of the Criminal Code (Cth).
The offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Authorities estimate that this amount of cocaine could have been sold as almost 100,000 street deals, with an estimated value of $6.5 million.
AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Luke Needham said law enforcement agencies were committed to preventing airports from being exploited by drug traffickers.
“This man is the third person charged by the AFP in the past fortnight for allegedly trying to smuggle illicit drugs into Australia hidden in luggage,” Det a/Supt Needham said.
“The AFP and its partners are working tirelessly to disrupt all levels of the drug trade and stop anyone who tries to profit at the expense of our community.”
ABF Superintendent Elke West said officers relied on both training and intuition when identifying potential drug couriers.
“Our officers are trained to detect changes in behaviour and body language and rely on their instincts when observing passengers,” Superintendent West said.
Investigations are ongoing.
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