Media Release: Two charged for concealing heroin inside books

Release Date: Monday, August 20 2012, 03:06 PM

This is a joint media release between the Australian Federal Police and Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.

A 49-year-old Singaporean man and a 32-year-old Malaysian man are scheduled to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court today for attempting to possess more than five kilograms of heroin, concealed in books.

On Friday 17 August 2012, Customs and Border Protection officers questioned the men when they arrived at Melbourne International Airport on a flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

After the two men were questioned, the matter was referred to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) for further investigation.

The AFP conducted enquiries and linked the men to two packages that were located in Melbourne’s CBD, where the men were due to stay. One package was examined and was found to contain 22 sealed Chinese books.

Following an examination of one of the books, AFP officers seized 350g of a white powdery substance, which initial testing has identified as heroin. Examinations are ongoing and it is suspected a total of approximately 5.6 kilograms of heroin is contained within a number of the books.

The AFP subsequently charged the men with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug contrary to Section 307.5(1) and by virtue of Section 11.1 of the Criminal Code Act 1995.

The maximum penalty for this offence is life imprisonment and/or an $825,000 fine.

Further forensic testing will be undertaken to confirm the exact weight and purity of the substance.

Media enquiries:
AFP National Media (02) 6131 6333
Customs and Border Protection Media (02) 6275 6793