Media Release: Woman charged with importing heroin

Release Date: Sunday, October 21 2012, 03:50 PM

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

A 22-year-old Vietnamese woman is scheduled to appear in Sydney Central Local Court on Wednesday (24 October 2012) after she was charged by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) with importing heroin into Australia.

The woman arrived at Sydney International Airport on a flight from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, yesterday (Saturday, 20 October 2012).

During an examination of the woman’s luggage, Customs and Border Protection officers located a white powder substance concealed within bars of soap.

Initial testing of the substance returned positive for heroin, with an estimated amount of up to 2.95 kilograms.

The woman was referred to the AFP and charged with importing a marketable quantity of a border controlled drug, namely heroin, contrary to section 307.2 of the Criminal Code Act 1995.

The maximum penalty for this offence is 25 years imprisonment and/or a $550,000 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 Communication and Media (02) 6275 6793