An Australian woman is facing a drug importation charge after authorities alleged she tried to conceal drugs in her luggage by presenting them as tea.
The 40-year-old, from Bonnyrigg in Sydney, was stopped for a routine inspection after arriving at Sydney International Airport on Friday, Dec. 26, according to a joint press release from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Border Force (ABF).
ABF officers alleged they located 18 vacuum-sealed bags labeled “tea” inside her luggage. The bags reportedly contained a clear crystalline substance.
Authorities said presumptive testing indicated the substance was methamphetamine, with an estimated weight of 15 kilograms (about 33 pounds).
AFP officers arrested the woman and seized the drugs, the press release said.
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Police estimated the seizure was worth more than $13 million and could have amounted to roughly 150,000 individual street deals, citing the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission Drug Calculator.
The woman — who has not been publicly identified — was charged with one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, an offense that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
She is expected to appear in court in Sydney on Dec. 27.
AFP Detective Superintendent Morgen Blunden said in the press release that authorities frequently see attempts to bring illicit drugs into Australia through passenger luggage.
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“This is an important reminder for travelers – individuals or groups offering money to move luggage are not to be trusted, and the reward is not worth the consequences,” Blunden said. “Trafficking drugs in your luggage, either knowingly or unknowingly, is a criminal offense, and if caught, you face losing some of the best years of your life sitting in a prison cell either in Australia or overseas.”
“This is not a victimless crime,” he added. “The drugs these individuals carry fuel violence, addiction and organized crime in our communities. Every kilogram seized is a blow to the networks that profit from harm and a reminder that Australia is not an easy target.”
