A French woman appeared in the court on June 26 after she was arrested for drug possession upon her arrival at Perth International Airport in Australia from Thailand on May 29. The case has drawn attention in Thailand following a separate drug crackdown involving a Thai Airways flight attendant in Melbourne.
Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers arrested the 31 year old French national after she arrived at Perth Airport from Thailand on May 29. According to Australian authorities, the defendant had been living in Manning, Western Australia.
During an inspection of her belongings, officers reportedly found suspicious packages labelled as body wash. Testing later identified the substance as Butanediol.
Authorities reported that about 50 milligrams of the substance were seized. Under Australian law, Butanediol is classified as a border-controlled drug.
The AFP said the substance is highly dangerous because the body converts it into Gamma-hydroxybutyrate, or GHB, when consumed. Officials stated that even a small amount can be harmful or potentially fatal.
Authorities added that importing Butanediol carries similar legal consequences to trafficking drugs such as methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine.
In addition to the liquid substance, officers found that the French woman was hiding 40 steroid tablets in her body.
The AFP stated that the defendant appeared before the Perth Magistrates Court on June 26. She has been charged with importing a marketable quantity of border-controlled drugs under Section 307.2 of the Criminal Code.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison, though no court ruling has been publicly released.
The case received additional attention in Thailand following the arrest of a Thai Airways flight attendant at Melbourne Airport on June 25. Australian authorities reportedly found more than one kilogramme of heroin hidden in tote bags linked to that case.
Thailand’s Office of the Narcotics Control Board said the flight attendant had reportedly worked part-time as a shopping courier. Officials said she was allegedly paid 8,800 baht to transport tote bags to Australia through contacts in a shopping courier Facebook group.
Thai authorities have not yet determined whether the flight attendant was misled or knowingly participated in the smuggling operation. Investigators are continuing to examine her role and identify those who arranged the shipment.
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