(LAWFUEL) – A 40-year-old Victorian man will face Melbourne Magistrates Court this morning after an alleged attempt to smuggle narcotics into Australia.
Customs and Border Protection officers at Melbourne International Airport selected the man, from Mill Park, for a baggage examination after he arrived on a flight from Vietnam yesterday (Tuesday 3 February).
During the examination, the officers became suspicious that the man may have been concealing drugs internally.
The man was referred to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and taken to hospital for a medical examination.
It will be alleged in court that the man subsequently passed three pellets containing approximately 190 grams of a powder suspected of being heroin. The packages will undergo forensic testing to determine the exact weight and purity.
The AFP charged the man with attempting to import a marketable quantity of a border controlled drug contrary to Section 307.2 of the Criminal Code Act 1995. The maximum penalty for this offence is a fine of $550,000 and/or 25 years imprisonment.
