A man has been sentenced to six years and two months’ imprisonment by the Perth District Court for attempting to possess a marketable quantity of heroin that was smuggled into Australia concealed inside mascara boxes. The sentencing comes after the man, now 31, was convicted by a jury in June following a trial. His sentence includes a non-parole period of three years and seven months.
The investigation began in August 2021 when Australian Border Force (ABF) officers in Perth identified the drugs during an inspection of an air cargo consignment sent from South Africa. The illicit drugs were found hidden under the lids of several mascara tubes and in envelopes within the boxes. Initial testing confirmed the presence of heroin, and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) were notified.
In total, 329 grams of powder was found, with 116.8 grams of pure heroin confirmed after forensic testing by the AFP. The drugs were removed, and a controlled delivery of the package was made to a residence in Balga on August 6, 2021.
Police observed the man arriving on an e-scooter, collecting the package, and taking it to a nearby vacant property, where he took a photo of the consignment. The man fled when he believed he saw a police officer, but he was apprehended shortly thereafter by AFP officers.
The man was charged with attempting to possess a marketable quantity of unlawfully imported border-controlled drugs, specifically 116.8 grams of heroin, in violation of Section 307.6 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).
During sentencing, the court heard that the heroin could have had a potential street value of $203,000 if sold in ounces.
AFP Detective Inspector Andrea Coleman praised the collaboration between law enforcement agencies that led to the arrest, noting that disrupting the flow of illicit drugs remains a priority. “We will continue to work tirelessly to combat the supply of these dangerous substances into Australia, regardless of the quantity,” she said.
Inspector Coleman also highlighted the significant dangers posed by heroin, citing the 455 heroin-induced deaths in Australia in 2022, up from 326 deaths in 2021.
ABF Superintendent James Payne added that smugglers are continuously finding new ways to hide illegal substances, but ABF officers are highly trained to detect such attempts. “Our officers are expertly trained to identify anomalies in goods being imported and will take swift action to seize these harmful drugs at the border and refer to the AFP for investigation,” Payne said.
The successful conviction and sentencing serve as a reminder of the collaborative efforts between Australian law enforcement agencies in the fight against drug trafficking.
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