Deadly liquid ice haul disguised as cute snow globe souvenirs found by Border Force at Sydney Airport
A deadly liquid form of ice has been found inside a shipment of snow globes from overseas, bound for a southeast Sydney suburb, in a $1 million methamphetamine importation thwarted by Australian Border Force officers.
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Exclusive: A deadly liquid form of ice has been found inside a shipment of harmless looking snow globes set for Sydney in a $1 million methamphetamine importation thwarted by Australian Border Force officers.
The watery-looking substance surrounding cute little lamas and sloth figurines in the seized globes was in fact liquid methamphetamine worth more than $1 million which had been air mailed from Canada.
“Drug importers are coming up with very imaginative ways to attempt to conceal drugs but don’t realise we have increasingly effective technology to detect illicit substances in all forms,” ABF regional CommanderDanielle Yannopoulos said.
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The methamphetamine was suspended in a total 7.5 litres of the liquid found inside 15 snow globes which were headed for a suburb in southeast Sydney.
Had it reached the distributors the meth would be have been extracted from the globes and converted into crystal form through a simple drying process.
“We have seen drugs hidden or disguised as all sorts of things, including champagne and in shampoo bottles,” Commander Yannopoulos said.
“It seems many drug importers also think by welding hidden compartments surrounded by metal they can avoid detection — they can’t.”
The ABF said it now has highly sophisticated X-ray technology and sniffer dogs which can detect well concealed contraband, including liquid forms of drugs.
The seizure of the snow globes was made on May 31 at Sydney Airport after the consignment was targeted by ABF officers.
The Australian Federal Police are now involved but no arrests have been made.
“The snow globes were X-rayed and subject to further examination, with substance identification testing of the liquid inside returning a presumptive positive result for methamphetamine,’’ the ABF commander said.
“The ABF has invested heavily in our technological capability in recent years and we can see further into every package than ever before.
“Our officers continue to prove, time and time again, that criminals who attempt to hide these substances in new and imaginative ways are wasting their time.
“It doesn’t matter how clever you think your concealment is — we can find it.”
Last week the ABF revealed an X-ray of a second hand excavator found 354kg of cocaine concealed inside the machinery addressed to a gardening business in Bungendore near Canberra.
Originally published as Deadly liquid ice haul disguised as cute snow globe souvenirs found by Border Force at Sydney Airport
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