Thai airline employee charged over alleged A$500,000 heroin seizure at Melbourne Airport

MELBOURNE, June 29 — An airline employee from Thailand has been arrested and charged after Australian authorities allegedly located heroin in her baggage on arrival at Melbourne Airport, Xinhua reported.

A statement from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) today said that Australian Border Force (ABF) officers screened the 26-year-old Thai national’s bags when an international flight that she was working on landed at Melbourne Airport on Thursday.

During an X-ray examination of the bags, officers identified anomalies and subsequently discovered a white powder concealed within their lining. Presumptive testing returned a positive reading for heroin.

The AFP said that more than 1 kg of heroin, with an estimated street value of A$500,000 (RM1.4 million), was seized.

The woman was arrested and charged with one count each of importing a marketable quantity of a border-controlled drug and possessing a marketable quantity of a border-controlled drug. Both offences carry maximum penalties of 25 years’ imprisonment.

AFP Acting Commander Simone Butcher said that the agency is “unwavering” in its efforts to target individuals who use their employment to support drug trafficking. — Bernama-Xinhua