A Canadian national has been charged with importing more than 11 kilograms of cocaine after being caught at Sydney Airport.
AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Dom Stephenson said the seizure demonstrated the commitment of law enforcement agencies to stop illicit drugs from harming Australian communities.
“This was a brazen attempt to smuggle a substantial quantity of cocaine into Australia, which could have resulted in untold damage had it reached our community.”
Australian Border Force (ABF) officers discovered the drugs on Thursday, 12 December 2024, during a routine baggage examination after the 38-year-old arrived on a flight from the United States.
Officers found 10 vacuum-sealed packages of a white substance in his luggage, which initial testing confirmed to be cocaine with an estimated weight of 11.6kg.
ABF Superintendent Elke West highlighted the ongoing vigilance of officers, particularly as passenger numbers rise during the festive season.
“Our message is that we see you, and we will work to stamp out the scourge of illicit drugs coming into our country.”
The man appeared before Sutherland Local Court on Friday, 13 December, and was charged by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) with importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug under section 307.1 of the Criminal Code Act 1995.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. He has been remanded in custody and will reappear at Downing Centre Local Court on 12 February 2025.
Both agencies warned that criminal syndicates often exploit vulnerable travellers to bypass border controls but stressed that stringent measures are in place to detect and prosecute such attempts.
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