Canadian could get life sentence for allegedly bringing $12.2M of meth to Australia
A Canadian woman could face life imprisonment after Australian authorities allegedly seized $12.2 million worth of illicit drugs from her luggage.
According to a release by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Border Force (ABF), a 24-year-old was charged with allegedly importing 14.4kg of methamphetamine into Australia.
The drugs, which have a street value of 13.4 million Australian dollars (C$12.2 million), were concealed in her luggage.
Canadian woman charged with trying to smuggle 14kg of meth (Australian Border Force)
The incident occurred on July 28 at Brisbane International Airport after ABF officers allegedly detected the illicit drugs and selected the woman to have her baggage examined. The woman had arrived from Fiji and had started her journey in Vancouver.
“The methamphetamine was allegedly in plastic packages wrapped inside towels that had been soaked in vinegar and layered with coffee beans,” reads the release. “Testing of the packages returned a presumptive positive result for methamphetamine.”
AFP said that it had charged the woman with one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
“Life sentences in Australia typically range from 10 years up to 25 years, while for particularly heinous crimes, a life without parole may be imposed,” states Australian criminal law firm Andrew Byrnes Law Group on its website.
Australian Border Force
“I’m pleased to say, in this instance, the AFP and the ABF stopped a significant amount of methamphetamine from reaching our streets,” said AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Steve Wiggins.
The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) said that drug consumption has been on the rise, according to findings from the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program.
December 2023 saw a “record-high” consumption of cocaine and methamphetamine in capital cities and regional areas.
From 2021 to 2022, there were 10,000 methamphetamine-related hospitalizations, which equals an average of 27 hospitalizations daily, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
“This result should serve as a warning to criminals that no matter where you are attempting to import or move your drugs, the ABF and our partners will be waiting,” said ABF Superintendent John Ikin.
Daily Hive has reached out to Global Affairs for more information.