SYDNEY, Sept 6 (NNN-AAP) – An Australian man is facing life imprisonment, after being arrested over an alleged attempt to import 35 kilograms of methamphetamine from the United States in his luggage.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Border Force (ABF) said in a joint statement today that, the 62-year-old man was stopped by ABF officers for a baggage inspection upon arrival at Brisbane Airport from Los Angeles, yesterday.
During the inspection, officers allegedly found 12 sealed plastic bags containing a white crystalline substance in the man’s suitcases. Subsequent testing returned a positive result for methamphetamine, with a total estimated weight of 35 kg.
The case was handed to the AFP, who seized the drugs, arrested the man and charged him with one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug. If convicted, he will face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
AFP Detective, Acting Superintendent Shane Scott, said that, the seized volume of methamphetamine had an estimated street value of 11.4 million Australian dollars (7.4 million U.S. dollars) and could have equated to 17,500 individual street-level deals.– NNN-AAP
