National media release
Woman charged with smuggling $1.2 million of heroin
Friday, 29 February 2008
A 40-year-old Malaysian woman will appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court today following an alleged attempt to smuggle approximately four kilograms of heroin into Australia.
The Australian Federal Police will allege in court that the woman was concealing drugs in her luggage.
Customs officers at Melbourne International Airport stopped the woman after she arrived on a flight from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on 28 February. When officers x-rayed the woman’s handbag and a soft-sided suitcase, they noticed inconsistencies in the images. A closer examination of the handbag and suitcase allegedly revealed white powder which gave an initial reading for heroin. The drugs, which have a potential street value of $1.2 million, will undergo forensic testing to determine purity and exact weight.
The woman has been charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug under the Criminal Code Act 1995.
The maximum penalty for these offences is life imprisonment and/or an $825,000 fine.
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AFP Media (Canberra): (02) 6275 7100