Man to face court on drug smuggling charges

A 66-year-old Canadian national will appear before the Melbourne Magistrates Court today, charged with attempting to import more than one kilogram of methamphetamine into Australia.

Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) officers selected the man for a baggage examination after he arrived at Melbourne International Airport on a flight from Shanghai, China.

When ACBPS officers examined the man’s luggage, a crystalline substance was found inside a suitcase and cardboard box.

The matter was referred to the Australian Federal Police (AFP), who later charged the man with importation of a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug contrary to section 307.1 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).

ACBPS Acting National Manager Airport Operations, Dean Hogarth, praised the officers who detected the drugs and stopped them from entering Australia.

“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,” Mr Hogarth said.

AFP Melbourne Airport Police Commander John Bourke said the AFP was committed to protecting the Australian community by prosecuting those responsible for importing dangerous drugs.

“The AFP will continue working with our partner agencies to prevent these harmful drugs from reaching our streets and affecting our communities.”

The maximum penalty for this offence is life imprisonment.