(LAWFUEL) – Two Melbourne men have been charged with conspiring to import approximately 20 kilos of heroin into Australia, in one of the most intricate concealments authorities have uncovered.
A 55-year-old Preston man and a 31-year-old man from Keilor Downs are due to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court this morning charged with conspiring to import a commercial quantity of heroin.
On Sunday 1 March an air cargo consignment from Pakistan arrived in Melbourne.
Customs and Border Protection officers examined this consignment which contained a number of rugs. During the examination, officers discovered a white powder substance intricately concealed within the rugs. Initial testing of the substance indicated the presence of heroin.
The matter was referred to the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
The AFP executed a number of search warrants on Sunday 8 March 2009 and both men were arrested in close proximity to their residential addresses.
Further forensic testing will be undertaken to confirm the substance, its purity and weight.
The men were charged with conspiracy to import and attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, contrary to the Criminal Code Act 1995.
The maximum penalty for these offences is life imprisonment and/or a $50,000 fine.
