Second cabin crew member accused of smuggling $20m worth of drugs from Malaysia
A second cabin crew member has been charged over a “highly organised” drug smuggling operation which enabled over $20 million worth of deadly illicit drugs to be flown in from Malaysia over several years.
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UPDATE: A second cabin crew member is facing serious drug trafficking charges after he allegedly helped smuggle more than $20 million worth of deadly illicit drugs into the country.
Police today revealed a 48-year-old Malaysian national was arrested at Sydney Airport on January 19 and has been charged with importing a marketable quantity of border controlled drug and trafficking a marketable quantity of a border controlled drug.
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The male cabin crew member is the ninth person to be charged over the “highly organised” drug smuggling operation, which went undetected for years.
The man faced Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on January 22 and has been remanded to reappear with his co-accused on May 15.
Last week authorities revealed they had smashed a major organised crime syndicate, which used flight attendants as drug mules to smuggle masses of high-grade heroin and methamphetamine into the country from Malaysia.
Eight people, including one Malindo Air flight attendant and a ground-staffer, were arrested in raids across Melbourne that 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 body, it is alleged.
The “highly organised” crew got away with it for well over five years, said Ms Walsh.
The group are made up of Vietnamese nationals and Australian-Vietnamese nationals.
Australian Border Force Commander Craig Palmer said screening of airline staff has been tightened as a result of the sting.
Over 2000 cabin crew members have been searched at the borders, he said.
The investigation into the alleged smuggling crew is ongoing.
Whether the airline staff were recruited as mules during their employment at Malindo Air or joined as exisiting members of the syndicate is part of the probe.
It is understood the Malaysia Airlines flight attendant who allegedly smuggled $1.4 million worth of heroin into Melbourne last May was not connected to the alleged syndicate.
Malaysian authorities are cooperating with the investigation.
Those involved in the five-month investigation, Operation Sunrise, said the syndicate had been responsible for several hundred thousand drug doses hitting the streets over many years, but had long managed to remain below the police radar.
A Malindo Air flight attendant, 38, was arrested at Melbourne International Airport on January 7 after flying in from Kuala Lumpur.
Police say her luggage held 1kg of heroin.
And police say last May, a Malaysia Airlines crew member, 33, was caught with 3.5kg of heroin worth $1.4 million hidden in his jacket.
The Joint Organised Crime Taskforce raided seven properties in Southbank, Abbotsford, Richmond, Sunshine North and the CBD between January 8 and Monday this week.
They seized $14.5 million worth of heroin, equivalent to 42,000 street hits, $6.4 million worth of methamphetamine, a Porsche Macan, and a Mini Cooper.
Eight people were arrested and charged with serious drug trafficking offences.
All have faced Melbourne Magistrates’ Court. Two were bailed, and six remanded to reappear on May 15.
The suspected ringleaders, a man and a woman, could spend the rest of their lives behind bars if convicted.
Assistant Commissioner Tess Walsh, of Victoria Police crime command, said the drug ring had operated under authorities’ noses for years.
“This was a well organised syndicate we know had operated across Australia undetected for many years.
“The amount of heroin involved … amounts to almost several hundred thousand hits in real terms,” she said.
Operation Sunrise also involved the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Border Force, and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.
Criminologist James Martin said cabin crew would be considered prime targets for recruitment as drug couriers owing to their high security clearance and pattern of regular flights.
“Cabin crew make regular flights without arousing suspicions of Customs or immigrations authorities, whereas if a civilian were to make lots of short-stay international flights, that would attract attention and authorities would begin asking questions,” Mr Martin said.
“The demand for illicit drugs is huge. When illicit suppliers are prepared to produce drugs there will be a huge financial incentive to move them from A to B.”
Authorities said the flight attendant arrested last May was behaving suspiciously in the baggage claim area after a flight from Kuala Lumpur. AFP officials said he was seen removing 10 concealed packets from his luggage and stuffing them into his jacket.
He faces two charges including importing a commercial quantity of an illicit drug, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
In June last year four foreign Jetstar flight attendants were sacked. Police said they were caught with 3.5kg of tobacco strapped to their bodies and hidden down their pants.
Malindo Air declined to comment.
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