Woman charged over internal drug concealment

A 39-year-old Australian woman is due to face Sydney Magistrates Court today charged with importing a border controlled drug.

The woman was stopped by Customs officers when she arrived on a flight from Thailand on Thursday.

During questioning, Customs officers became suspicious that the woman may have been concealing drugs internally.

She was taken into an interview room where she allegedly produced two internally concealed packages containing white powder believed to be heroin.

The woman was referred to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and taken to hospital for a medical examination.

The AFP will allege in court that the woman had internally concealed further illicit substances bringing the total number of packages to 165.

The total weight of the packages was approximately 880 grams.

She is the eighth person this year to be charged with smuggling drugs internally.

AFP and Customs officers stopped 33 people attempting to smuggle drugs internally in 2007, including 16 Australian citizens or permanent residents.

The work of both agencies to protect Australia’s borders has prevented 7.2 kilograms of heroin and 1.7 kilograms of cocaine – worth a combined total of $2.5 million – from reaching Australian streets.

The Australian national has been charged with attempting to import a marketable quantity of a border controlled drug in contravention of the Criminal Code Act 1995.

The maximum penalty for this offence is $550,000 and/or 25 years imprisonment.