SYDNEY, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Australian police have charged a man over an alleged attempt to smuggle 20 kg of heroin into the country from Thailand.
The Australian Border Force (ABF) and Australian Federal Police (AFP) said on Wednesday that the 26-year-old man from the state of New South Wales was selected for a baggage examination on arrival at Sydney Airport on a flight from Bangkok on January 24.
During the examination, ABF officers located 34 vacuum-sealed bags containing a combined 20 kg of heroin.
According to authorities, the heroin had an estimated value of 10 million Australian dollars (7 million U.S. dollars) and could have supplied 100,000 street deals.
The case was turned over to AFP officers, who arrested the 26-year-old and charged him with one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
AFP Detective Superintendent Morgen Blunden said that the attempted importation highlights the determination of organized crime groups to exploit international travel pathways for profit. ■
