News Centre

This is a joint release between Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force

Editor’s note: Images of the arrest and seizure are available via Hightail.

A Perth woman has been sentenced to imprisonment by the Perth District Court, joining her father in prison over their involvement in a failed plot to import 5kg of methamphetamine into Australia by international mail in 2021.

The woman, 27, was sentenced on Friday (23 May, 2025) to seven years and six months’ imprisonment and must serve a non-parole period of four years and six months. She pleaded not guilty and was convicted in a jury trial on 7 April, 2025.

Her father, 67, had pleaded guilty to his role in the plot and was sentenced by the Perth District Court on 31 May, 2022, to six years’ imprisonment, backdated to 8 September, 2021.

The AFP started an investigation in August 2021 after Australian Border Force (ABF) officers found the illicit drugs when they examined a package sent from the United States, addressed to a Mirrabooka property.

Officers found multiple A4 envelopes and inside 21 of those envelopes was a package containing a white substance hidden between sheets of paper. Testing of the substance returned a positive result for methamphetamine, which was later found to be more than 80 per cent pure.

ABF officers alerted the AFP and an investigation was launched into those involved.

The AFP removed the illicit drugs and replaced them with an inert substance before the package was delivered to the Mirrabooka property, where the pair opened, weighed and photographed the substituted packages.

The AFP entered the property shortly after and the pair was questioned and charged.

The woman was convicted of one count of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs, namely methamphetamine, contrary to sections 11.1 and 307.5(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).

Her father was also convicted of the same offence.

AFP Inspector Chris Colley said the AFP worked closely with ABF and other partners to stop criminals from smuggling illicit drugs into Australia.

“While 5kg of methamphetamine might seem like a relatively small amount, it equates to about 50,000 individual street deals and methamphetamine causes significant community harm,” Insp Colley said.

“On average, 38 people were hospitalised each day in Australia for methamphetamine-related incidents in 2022-23*.

“The AFP and our partners remain committed to protecting the community from the scourge of drugs and to targeting those individuals who seek to profit from the illicit trade.”

ABF Acting Superintendent Carmen Lee said ABF officers inspected more than a million mail items across Australia each week, and had seen it all when it came to ill-fated attempts to hide illicit drugs in packages.

“The amount of data we have access to helps our officers to identify suspicious packages – even those as unsophisticated as this one – and intercept them at the border before they enter the community and cause harm,” a/Supt Lee said.

“ABF officers continue to work hand in glove with our law enforcement partners to monitor intelligence and observe trends to ensure we are stopping these harmful substances from saturating our communities, and ensure those responsible are held to account."

*Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report.

Note to media

Media are encouraged to include help-seeking information in stories about illicit drugs to minimise any negative impact on people in the community. The following services provide people with access to support and information.

• For free and confidential advice about alcohol and other drug treatment services call the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015.
• Access free 24/7 drug and alcohol counselling online.
• For information about drug and alcohol addiction treatment or support, go to the Turning Point website.