(LAWFUEL) – A 40-year-old man appeared in Sydney’s Central Local Court this morning charged with importing a marketable quantity of a border-controlled drug suspected to be cocaine.
The Spanish national was stopped by Customs officers when he arrived at Sydney Airport on a flight from Buenos Aires on Sunday 16 November.
Items in the man’s luggage were subject to examination. Presumptive tests performed on three bottles of hair care products and a laptop bag indicated the presence of a border-controlled substance suspected to be cocaine.
The powder found in the items is undergoing forensic testing to determine its exact nature, weight and purity.
The Spanish man was charged with importing a marketable quantity of a border-controlled drug, contrary to the Criminal Code Act 1995.
He was remanded in custody to reappear in court on January 14, 2009.
The maximum penalty for this offence is 25 years imprisonment and/or a $550,000 fine.
