Seafarer Arrested on Charges of Smuggling Meth Into Australia

 

Police in Australia have brought charges against a seafarer for allegedly attempting to walk down the gangway with three kilos of methamphetamine in a bag. 

On Saturday, a private port security officer at Port Adelaide selected a 50-year-old Tanzanian crewmember from an unnamed vessel for a random baggage inspection as the man was heading out for shore leave. The officer checked the bag at the screening point and found three suspicious packages inside, all containing a substance with the appearance of meth. 

The port security officer notified the Australian Border Force, and ABF officers responded to the scene. Upon testing, they found that the packages contained methamphetamine, and the Tanzanian seafarer was arrested. He has been charged with one count of attempting to import a border controlled drug, an offense that carries a maximum penalty of life in prison in Australia. 

No additional signs of drugs were found aboard the ship. For now, the suspect has been held without bail. 

"Anyone considering smuggling drugs into Australia needs to think about the consequences of their actions. If caught, you face spending multiple years of your life in a prison cell," said AFP Detective Superintendent Melinda Adam in a statement.

If sold, the packages would have been worth US$1.8 million on the lucrative Australian drug market, Adam said.