Couple caught allegedly inserting hard drugs into their bodies to smuggle them into Australia
A couple have been accused of importing 255 grams of heroin into Australia by concealing the packages internally.
The pair’s luggage was searched by Border Police officers when they landed at Perth Airport on a flight from Asia on February 14, with images of what police say are illegal drugs on their mobile devices.
The man and woman, both aged 48, were escorted by Australian Federal Police officers to a medical facility for further assessment.
Subsequent scans revealed what appeared to be a number of pellets inserted into both colons.
The AFP claimed the man later excreted six pellets containing an estimated total of 115.4g of heroin, while the woman reportedly excreted seven pellets containing a total of 139.7g of heroin.
The drugs would be worth about $127,000 on the street, police said.
Body scans reportedly revealed six packets in the man’s colon and seven in the woman’s
The AFP said the drugs have a street value of $127,000 and appear to be in solid form
AFP Acting Commander Peter Hatch said anyone smuggling drugs internally not only risks significant jail time but also takes serious risks to their health.
“We know that these pellets can burst in the stomach or other parts of the body, posing a significant risk of a devastating overdose,” said Acting Commander Hatch.
“This issue should serve as a warning to the community: this is your drug supply chain in action. Illegal drugs are not produced in sterile environments and certainly not transported under hygienic conditions.
‘If you ever consider using illegal substances, think about where they might come from. In this situation, the drugs were in the colon of an alleged courier before they were allegedly sold and used.
“The AFP will continue to work closely with ABF and other partners to ensure our airports remain a hostile environment for criminal syndicates.”
TThe man and woman have each been charged with importing a marketable quantity of a border controlled drug, contrary to section 307.2(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995.
The maximum penalty for this crime is 25 years in prison.