A US national has been charged with allegedly importing 2.2kg of cocaine into Australia using shampoo and conditioner bottles.
The 33-year-old was spoken to by Australian Border Force officers at Brisbane Airport last month when drug detection dogs caught the scent of the possible presence of illicit substances in his luggage.
Officers noticed two 946ml bottles in his luggage, one containing shampoo and the other conditioner. A presumptive drug test was performed on both, and a positive result for cocaine was returned.
The combined weight of the cocaine was 2.2kg, which could have been sold as 11,000 street deals, worth an estimated NZD$972,000.
The man was charged with one count of importing a marketable quantity of a border-controlled drug. The offence carries a maximum penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment.
Australian Border Force superintendent John Ikin said the strong management of the Australian border by his officers would continue to frustrate organised crime.
“Criminals should be warned, there is no clever way to import drugs. You will be caught. ABF officers use every means at their disposal, including highly trained dogs, advanced technology and intelligence shared by partner agencies nationally and globally, to detect and deter the scourge of illicit drugs at our border.”
Australian Federal Police superintendent Natalie Scott said transnational organised crime syndicates viewed Australia as a lucrative drug market and tried a variety of methods to smuggle illicit substances into the country.
“While these syndicates try to prey on our communities to make money, the AFP, ABF and partners are committed to stopping illicit drugs from entering Australia and inflicting harm in our communities.”
