(LAWFUEL) – A 36-year-old Canadian man faced Melbourne Magistrates Court today charged with importing drugs into Australia. The man was stopped for questioning by Customs officers yesterday (2 December) after arriving at Melbourne International Airport on a flight from Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.
During questioning, Customs officers became suspicious that the man was concealing drugs internally and he was referred to the Australian Federal Police (AFP). The man was taken to hospital for a medical examination where an x-ray indicated that the man was internally concealing two foreign objects. Preliminary testing of the substance indicated the presence of heroin.
The AFP will allege in court the man was carrying two packages containing 170 grams of a powdered substance.
The man was charged with importing a marketable quantity of a border controlled drug contrary to section 307.2 of the Criminal Code Act 1995.
The packages will undergo forensic testing to determine the exact weight and purity.
The maximum penalty for this offence is 25 years imprisonment and/or a $550,000 fine.
The man was remanded in custody to reappear in court at a later date.
