Malindo Air cabin and ground crew facing charges of trafficking more than $20 million of drugs
Nine people arrested as part of an allegedly “highly organised” drug ring involving airline cabin crew and ground staff are facing charges they helped smuggle more than $20 million of illicit drugs into the country.
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Alleged members of a sophisticated airline drug-trafficking syndicate will fight charges they helped smuggle more than $20 million worth of illicit drugs into the country.
Australian Federal Police and Border Force officers arrested and charged nine people as part of Operation Sunrise earlier this year, busting the “highly organised” drug ring involving Malindo Air airline cabin crew and ground staff.
The Herald Sun can reveal three more people have since been charged over the importation, trafficking and possession of drugs including cocaine, heroin and ice.
One woman was nabbed as recently as two weeks ago as authorities continued their crackdown on the international drug trade.
In January, the Herald Sun revealed authorities had smashed a major organised crime syndicate that used flight attendants as drug mules to smuggle masses of high-grade heroin and methamphetamine into the country from Malaysia.
The operation went undetected for as many as five years, investigators said.
Lawyers for the accused fronted the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday with eight indicating they needed time to deal with the complex nature of the offences.
The group faces more than 50 charges between them, including possessing a marketable quantity of drugs, trafficking controlled drugs, dealing with the proceeds of crime and importing a commercial quantity of illicit drugs, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The court heard at least one of the accused may plead guilty before their next court appearance in November.
And at least three of the alleged syndicate members will fight the charges at a five-day committal hearing in January.
Forensic experts, Border Force officers and Victorian police members will be called to give evidence at the hearing.
Magistrate Luisa Bazzani warned the lawyers their clients were facing substantial jail time.
“These are extremely serious charges,” Ms Bazzani said.
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Two Malindo Air flight attendants and a ground crew member were among those arrested in raids across Melbourne in January, in which police seized 6kg of heroin, 8kg of methamphetamine, cocaine, a luxury car and significant sums of cash.
It is alleged the crew flew drugs into the country via Melbourne and Sydney about 20 times before they were caught.
The flight attendants evaded security officials by strapping the drugs to their bodies, it is alleged.
The group are made up of Vietnamese nationals and Australian-Vietnamese nationals.
Two of the alleged syndicate are on bail with 10 more behind bars.