A 26 year old Thai airline crew member was arrested in Australia for attempting to smuggle heroin into the country after officers detected the drug concealed in her luggage lining at Melbourne Airport on June 25.
The haul has an estimated street value of A$500,000 (around 11.51 million baht).
The accused arrived at Melbourne Airport as a crew member on an international flight. Her baggage underwent routine X-ray screening, during which officers identified anomalies across 12 tote bags she was carrying.
A detailed inspection revealed white powder hidden within the lining of all 12 bags. Preliminary testing confirmed the substance as heroin, with a combined weight of more than one kilogramme.
The accused faces one count of importing a marketable quantity of a border-controlled drug and one count of possessing a marketable quantity of a border-controlled drug. Both charges carry a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. A fine of up to A$825,000 (around 18.99 million baht) may also apply under Australian criminal law.
Australian Border Force Commander Clint Sims said criminal syndicates continued to attempt to move illicit substances into the country, and that no position offered protection from prosecution.
AFP Acting Commander Simone Butcher said police remained focused on individuals who exploit their employment or community standing to support drug trafficking, and that the AFP worked closely with partner agencies to disrupt such activity.
The accused has been remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear before Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on September 14.
In similar news, a 21 year old British man faces a minimum ten-year prison sentence in Turkey after nearly 20 kilogrammes of cannabis were found in his luggage at Istanbul airport as he transited home from a holiday in Thailand.
The man and his girlfriend were detained on April 26, alongside his girlfriend, also 21, Holly Cooper, after customs officers found 19.2kg of cannabis packed into 17 vacuum-sealed bags inside his suitcase.
He told the court he had been coerced into carrying the bag after being threatened following a car accident abroad, and said he did not know it contained drugs.
The story Thai flight attendant charged over 1kg heroin haul at Melbourne Airport as seen on Thaiger News.
