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Border Force finds 6kg of meth in flat-pack furniture bound for Qld

A flat-pack shoe rack and shelving used to try and smuggle almost 6kg of methamphetamine into Western Australia and Queensland have been intercepted by border officers.

Sep 17, 2020, updated Sep 17, 2020
(Photo: ABC)

(Photo: ABC)

The packages, found in several consignments by Australian Border Force (ABF) officers, has led to the discovery of an international drug operation.

A 28-year-old Queensland man and a 37-year-old West Australian man have been charged in relation to the finds on five separate occasions. “Our officers have seen every creative concealment imaginable, and as a result constantly expect the unexpected,” ABF WA acting regional commander Felicity Horrocks said.

“This outcome again demonstrates the highly effective collaborative manner in which the ABF, AFP, and state police work together to protect the community.”

Meth in furniture leads to other finds

On July 26 this year, ABF officers intercepted the first package from Malaysia at a Perth cargo airport.

The package was described as flat-pack shoe racks and shelves and was addressed to a residence in Bunbury, south of Perth.

A drug detector dog reacted to the package and after deconstructing the furniture’s legs officers located about two kilograms of meth.

Four days later, a second package was examined, this time addressed to a Perth residence, and found a further two kilograms in furniture legs.

On July 31, a third package from Malaysia was examined by ABF officers in Brisbane who located another 1.8 kilograms in eight furniture legs.

As a result, a search warrant was conducted at a home in Hillcrest, a suburb 30km south of Brisbane, and a 28-year-old man was arrested.

Australian Federal Police in Queensland said they located almost $500,000 in cash, an additional 1.8kg of a substance believed to be meth, and 1.2kg of other illegal substances.

The man was charged with one count of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of illegally imported drugs, trafficking commercial quantities of drugs, and one count of dealing in proceeds of crime.

If convicted, the maximum penalty for the offences is 20 years to life in prison.

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WA man linked to drug smuggling

Under the same investigation on August 3, the Western Australia Police Force drug and firearm squad intercepted a vehicle in Canning Vale.

Several items including furniture parts were seized from the vehicle and contained about 2kg of meth.

A 37-year-old man was arrested and a search warrant of his house in Bunbury uncovered more drugs found in furniture.

On the same day, a search warrant was conducted at another man’s house in Bunbury where more furniture containing meth was found.

He was charged with possessing a prohibited drug with intent to sell or supply.

Officers working in air cargo were praised for their efforts in stopping the contraband from reaching the streets.

The man from WA will face Perth Magistrates Court on October 20, and the man in Queensland will face Brisbane Magistrates Court on September 22.

– ABC / Zoe Keenan

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