A 38-year-old Canadian national faced court charged with attempting to smuggle approximately 15 kilograms of methamphetamine into Australia.
The illicit drugs were allegedly concealed in his luggage, discovered by Australian Border Force (ABF) officers upon his arrival at Sydney International Airport from Vancouver on 31 July 2024.
ABF officers inspected the man’s suitcase, where they found multiple vacuum-sealed bags containing a powdery substance. Subsequent testing confirmed the substance as methamphetamine. The case was handed over to the Australian Federal Police (AFP), and the man was arrested.
He now faces one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, an offence that carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment under section 307.1 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth). Following his initial court appearance on 1 August, where he was denied bail, the man is due to reappear today at Downing Centre Local Court.
AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Dom Stephenson emphasised the importance of halting drug smuggling attempts to protect Australian communities.
“Criminal groups will go to any lengths to bring illicit substances into our country. The devastating impact methamphetamine has on individuals and their families is well known – that’s why we’re committed to stopping it whenever we can,” he said, adding that the seized quantity could have resulted in 150,000 individual hits on the streets.
ABF Superintendent Elke West praised the efforts of officers who continuously work to prevent such dangerous substances from entering the country.
“Criminal syndicates care only about their profits, not the harm these drugs cause to the community. ABF officers will continue to rely on intelligence, observation, and intuition to disrupt these networks and protect Australians,” she stated.
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