(LAWFUEL) – A 20-year-old Malaysian woman faced court in Melbourne today charged with attempting to import approximately 400 grams of heroin into Australia concealed within her bra.
Officers from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship referred the
woman to Customs for a baggage examination when she arrived at Melbourne
International Airport on a flight from Bangkok last night. During an examination of the woman’s baggage Customs officers became suspicious she may have been carrying drugs on her body, concealed within her clothing.
A female Customs officer conducted a frisk search of the woman which
revealed inconsistencies around the woman’s bra and a package containing a white powder was subsequently located. Further testing of the white powder revealed approximately 400 grams of heroin concealed inside the package in the woman’s clothing.
The woman was referred to the Australian Federal Police and charged with
importing a marketable quantity of a border controlled drug contrary to Section 307.2 of the Criminal Code Act 1995.
The woman was remanded in custody to reappear in Melbourne Magistrates
Court on 17 April 2009. Further forensic testing will confirm the exact weight and purity of the substance.
The maximum penalty for this offence is 25 years imprisonment and/or a
$550,000 fine.
