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Media Release: Man charged for importing 5 kilograms of drugs into Perth
Release Date: Tuesday, September 03 2013, 03:13 PM
This is a joint media release between the Australian Federal
Police and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.
A 53-year-old German national is scheduled to appear in
Stirling Gardens Magistrate Court tomorrow (4 September 2013), charged by the
Australian Federal Police (AFP) for attempting to import five kilograms of
methamphetamine.
Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS)
officers selected the man for a baggage examination when he arrived at Perth
Airport on 19 August 2013 on a flight from Brussels.
An x-ray of the man’s baggage revealed a possible
concealment within the lining of his suitcase. ACBPS officers deconstructed the
suitcase and located a sealed plastic bag containing white crystals. Initial
tests indicated the substance was methamphetamine.
Further testing will be conducted to determine the exact
nature and purity of the substance.
ACBPS National Manager Airport Operations South, Tonie
Differding, said the detection was a significant one.
“The amount of harm these drugs could potentially have
caused the community cannot be understated. This seizure is another example of
the excellent border protection work our officers undertake every day,” Ms
Differding said.
AFP acting National Manager Aviation David Stewart said this
interception is a demonstration of the combined effort in place to stop drugs
entering Australia through our airports.
“The AFP and its partner agencies share a common goal to
protect our community by ensuring that dangerous drugs never hit the streets,”
acting Assistant Commissioner Stewart said.
The man was charged with importing a commercial quantity of
a border controlled drug, namely methamphetamine, contrary to section 307.1 of
the Criminal Code Act (cth) 1995.
The maximum penalty for this offence is $1,275,000 in fines
or 25 years imprisonment.
Media enquiries:
AFP National Media (02) 6131 6333
Customs and Border Protection Media (02) 6275 6793
