A 20-year-old man has been arrested by Australian Border Force (ABF) officers, accused of importing five kilograms of pseudoephedrine into the country.
On 20 February 2020, ABF officers examined an air cargo consignment containing wedding invitations and dresses. On closer inspection, the officers identified small plastic bags in the lining of the wedding invitations which contained a white substance.
The substance tested positive to pseudoephedrine. Pseudoephedrine is an illegal precursor which is commonly used in the manufacture of methamphetamine or “ice”.
Yesterday (21 July 2020), ABF officers, with the assistance of NSW Police from the St George and Bankstown Police Area Commands, executed three search warrants in Arncliffe, Bexley and Revesby. Mobile phones and other devices were seized by the ABF for further examination at all three properties. The 20-year-old man was arrested at the Bexley premises.
He has been charged with the following offences:
- One count of intentionally importing into Australia a commercial quantity of a border controlled precursor, namely Pseudoephedrine, without approval, contrary to section 307.11 of the Criminal Code Act 1995.
- One count of contravening request in s201A order, being for a serious offence, contrary to s201A(4) of the Customs Act 1901.
- One count of hindering Commonwealth official, contrary to section 149.1(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995.
The maximum penalty he could face for importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled precursor is 25 years imprisonment and/or a fine of $1,050,000.
ABF Regional Investigations NSW Superintendent Garry Low said ABF officers are committed to stopping precursor drugs, such as pseudoephedrine, from entering Australia.
“Criminals shouldn’t assume the ABF is only focused on finding illicit drugs and that they have a better chance of smuggling precursors into the country. That’s just not the case,” Superintendent Low said.
“ABF officers regularly find and stop precursors at the border, which disrupts the local manufacture of illicit drugs, deprives criminal syndicates of a product to sell, and keeps these dangerous drugs off our streets.”
The 20-year-old man appeared at Sutherland Local Court on 21 July 2020. He has been granted bail and will reappear in court on 14 September 2020.
