Unwrapped – 2024 most creative drug import attempts revealed

25 December 2024, 7:29am

Media Release

Unwrapped – 2024 most creative drug import attempts revealed

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

Editor’s note: Images and vision of the concealments available via Hightail

Organised crime syndicates continue to make the naughty list in 2024, with more than 740 attempted drug imports disrupted by the AFP and Australian Border Force (ABF).

Between 1 January and 1 December 2024, more than 740 consignments, sent by air and sea cargo streams and containing illicit drugs, were seized by the AFP after detection by ABF. This included more than 45 tonnes of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin.

In keeping with the upcoming festive season, some seizures were found hidden in Christmas gifts, while some came in their own versions of traditional stocking stuffers. Concealments included illicit drugs hidden inside paint brushes, sandals, bath products, wine, herbal tea and underpants.

Illicit drugs were also found in containers declared as industrial machinery and other commercial-grade equipment.

To show the lengths that criminal groups will go to, some importations were concealed inside travellers themselves. In February, a WA couple were stopped by ABF officers upon their return from an overseas holiday. During an examination of the couple, scans identified the presence of internally concealed drugs.

The couple later excreted 13 pellets found to contain $127,500 worth of heroin, and later this year were sentenced to a combined 11 years’ imprisonment.

ABF officers at the Melbourne Cargo Examination Facility detected anomalies in a consignment of paint brushes mailed from Vietnam in February. Investigators later located nearly 9kg of heroin concealed in the brushes, arresting a Nigerian man, 26, in connection to the import.

A more brazen attempt at importing more than 20kg of methamphetamine was thwarted by ABF officers in March when a Taiwanese national was stopped at Sydney Airport. An examination of the man’s carry-on luggage allegedly found methamphetamine concealed in wine bottles, herbal tea and bath salts.

The AFP was bolstered by new legislation in May, prohibiting the importation of 1,4 Butanediol, a harmful substance that is linked to sexual assaults and overdoses.

More than 4200 litres of ‘bute’ was seized in Sydney within weeks of the change in legislation, with ABF and AFP investigators locating the dangerous substance concealed in bottles labelled as essence oils, which resulted in the arrest of two individuals in NSW.

A new financial year saw the accounts of another criminal syndicate drained when $828 million worth of meth was seized by law enforcement. The shipment, found to contain almost 900kg of methamphetamine, arrived into Sydney from the United States hidden inside industrial machinery. A Winston Hills man was arrested for his alleged role in the shipment.

An Italian national who in 2023 attempted to traffic high purity ketamine hidden in a package of Christmas gifts has his next Christmas ruined when he was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.

AFP Commander Paula Hudson said the lengths criminal syndicates went to with their desire to conceal these harmful substances never ceased to amaze.

“Australia is one of the most attractive markets for transnational serious organised criminal syndicates because of the high prices their drugs can command,” Commander Hudson said.

“The AFP remains alert to the fact that syndicates are relentless in their attempts to flood our shores, with the sole motivation of profit and greed. Our message is clear: your efforts will fail – we are and remain a step ahead.

“The AFP and our state and Commonwealth law enforcement partners are well aware of the lengths criminals will go to as they evolve their concealment methods in order to import harmful drugs into our country.

“The AFP doesn’t take a holiday and will be keeping watch, ready to act.”

ABF Commander Ranjeev Maharaj said ABF officers were the first line of defence when it comes to the detection of hidden illicit drugs at the border, and this year they had seen it all.

“Criminals think they are being clever by coming up with new ways of concealing harmful drugs, but our well trained officers use not only modern technology and intelligence to detect these consignments, but also good old fashioned officer intuition,” Commander Maharaj said.

“Make no mistake, regardless of the creative way illicit drugs are hidden, we will work with the AFP to investigate and prosecute those responsible, and this occurs 365 days of the year - including over the festive season.”

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