Customs and Border Protection seize over 86,000 Xanax and Valium tablets

The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) has seized over 86,000 Xanax and Valium tablets at Sydney Airport.

ACBPS officers selected a 29-year-old Australian man for a baggage examination on Monday (10 February, 2014) when he arrived home on a flight from Fiji.

During the examination, officers detected and seized 43 bottles filled with 86,000 Xanax tablets and 342 Valium tablets.

ACBPS National Manager Airport Operations, Craig Sommerville, said that while the use and importation of Valium and Xanax may be legal when appropriate documentation is provided, smuggling them into Australia without a permit is strictly prohibited.

“While access to drugs such as these may be legal in some countries, if you bring them back illegally into Australia, you could face heavy penalties,” Mr Sommerville said.

“The maximum penalty for importing substances, such as prescription drugs, without a permit is a fine of $170,000 and up to five years in prison.”

The man has been questioned by the ACBPS and now faces the prospect of prosecution.

http://newsroom.customs.gov.au/releases/customs-and-border-protection-seize-over-86-000-xanax-and-valium-tablets