Man busted at Perth Airport after he allegedly tried to smuggle meth and $70,000 in cash on to a plane
An Australian man has reportedly been busted with tens of thousands of dollars in cash and a ziplock bag of drugs at a busy airport.
Australian Federal Police officers intercepted the Victorian man, 47, after he failed a security checkpoint at Perth Airport on September 17.
When searching his bags, officers reportedly found $70,000 in suspected illegal cash, a glass pipe and a sealed bag containing a crystalline substance.
When officers tested the substance, preliminary results revealed it was methamphetamine.
The man’s ticket was booked under someone else’s name and he was reportedly planning to fly to NSW before the failed security checkpoint.
In bodycam footage of an officer emptying his bags, he sits with his hands folded as several large white packages are removed from his backpack.
He faces four charges, which together carry a maximum sentence of eight years.
The man first appeared in the Perth Magistrates Court on September 18 and is expected to appear in court again on Friday.
The AFP intercepted a Victorian man, 47, after he failed to pass through security at Perth Airport at 11.30pm on September 17 (officer bodycam footage pictured)
When searching the man’s bag, officers reportedly found $70,000 in suspected illegal cash, a glass pipe and a sealed bag containing a crystalline substance (pictured)
The 47-year-old was charged with dealing with property reasonably suspected of being the proceeds of crime and oNe count of false identification information.
He was also charged with one count of possession of a controlled drug and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
AFP Acting Chief Inspector Shona Davisa urged Australian travelers to be on their guard suspicious or unusual people at airports at all times.
“The AFP is working with Australia’s major airports to ensure domestic and international flights are not used as transit routes for criminal activity,” she said.
“Unexplained sources of cash are often a sign of underlying criminal activity and the AFP has the ability to take people to court to justify that wealth.”
If someone sees someone behaving strangely at an airport, they are advised to do so call Airport Watch or notify a uniformed police officer at the airport.