An 18-year-old French woman could face life behind bars after allegedly bringing more than 10kg of methamphetamine into Australia on a flight from Paris.
Australian Border Force (ABF) officials detained the teen upon arrival at Perth Airport on April 25, allegedly with plans to travel onwards to Sydney.
Australian Federal Police (AFP) allege border officials discovered five sealed, plastic pouches inside her suitcase containing a white, crystalline substance.
Initial testing of the substance, estimated to weigh 10.7kg, allegedly returned a positive result for methamphetamine.
Border officials immediately reported the results to the AFP, who then seized the 18-year-old’s suitcase and contents for testing along with her mobile phone.
AFP and ABF released footage of the casually-dressed woman being escorted to an unmarked police vehicle by two officers while handcuffed.
Separate images also showed the woman standing beside her opened suitcase during an inspection and seated across from two officials in an interview room.
Authorities also released images of the plastic pouches allegedly removed from her suitcase.
The 18-year-old French woman is pictured undergoing a baggage search at Perth Airport on April 25 following a flight from Paris
Border officials allegedly removed five pouches from the woman’s suitcase which they claim returned a positive result for methamphetamine following initial testing
The 18-year-old is pictured in an interview room across from two officials. She has been charged with an offence carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment
Federal police charged the woman with one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
ABF acting superintendent Tim Sutton said border officials would continue to search for passengers suspected of acting as drug mules or smugglers.
‘The ABF is at the frontline protecting Australia’s border from these acts and we work closely with our law enforcement partners to make sure these plans are thwarted,’ he said.
The detainee appeared in Northbridge Magistrates Court in Perth on April 26 and was remanded in custody to reappear on Friday.
