French man arrested at Sydney Airport after more than $20 million worth of meth was allegedly discovered in his suitcase
The man, aged 20, was stopped by Australian Border Force (ABF) officers at Sydney Airport for a routine examination after arriving on a flight from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on July 20.
Officers allegedly discovered 22 vacuum-sealed bags hidden in his luggage that contained a clear crystalline substance, and presumptive testing revealed a positive result for methamphetamine, and Australian Federal Police statement (AFP) said.
The estimated weight of the crystalline substance was 22kg, and AFP have since seized the alleged drugs.
The amount of methamphetamine allegedly seized had an estimated street value of over $20 million, representing 220,000 potential individual street deals.
AFP officers arrested the French national, who has since been charged with one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, namely methamphetamine, and a count of possessing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, namely methamphetamine.
He now faces a lengthy sentence behind bars, with both offences carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The French national was formerly refused bail after appearing before Downing Centre Local Court on July 21 and he is set to reappear in at the court on September 16.
AFP Detective Superintendent Morgen Blunden said the AFP and the border force continued to see people trying to smuggle illegal drugs into their country via luggage.
The AFP is "working closely with our partners at the border and overseas" to disrupt the importation of such drugs into Australia, he said.
'This is not a victimless crime. The drugs these individuals carry fuel violence, addiction and organised crime in our communities. Every kilogram seized is a blow to the networks that profit from harm and a reminder that Australia is not an easy target," Detective Superintendent Blunden said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
‘A disgraceful act': Beijing denies espionage in Australia
Former federal police detective superintendent David Craig warns of serious foreign interference as Beijing denies any role in espionage following explosive allegations of Chinese spying on Australian soil. 'The AFP… have a criminal case against someone who is spying on a foreign national on behalf of the Chinese government, spying within the Australian borders,' Mr Craig said. 'They don't charge people without any proof… and the alleged actions of this woman are very serious indeed. 'This is a disgraceful act.'
News.com.au
9 hours ago
- News.com.au
World Cup host Morocco under pressure to save stray dogs
Animal welfare groups have accused Morocco of culling stray dogs as it prepares to host football's 2030 World Cup, but the kingdom denies the accusations, vowing to protect the canines. Advocates have charged that Morocco was indiscriminately ridding its streets of strays ahead of the global sporting event it will jointly host with Portugal and Spain. Authorities in the North African country, however, insist they had endorsed a non-lethal method known as TNVR -- to trap, neuter, vaccinate, and then release the dogs -- aimed at reducing public health risks while controlling the stray population. And a bill aimed at protecting street animals was adopted earlier this month, still pending parliament review. It would set fines of up to $1,500 or jail terms of up to three months for harming stray dogs, according to a copy of the bill seen by AFP. Yet the culling accusations persist as online videos show dogs being shot or poisoned with strychnine, a toxic alkaloid which is sometimes used as a pesticide. In the videos from across the country, some of the dogs appear to already have marks on their ears indicating they had been sterilised and vaccinated. Mohammed, a resident of Tangiers in Morocco's north who refused to give his last name for fear of retribution, said he witnessed a dog he had often seen in the neighbourhood where he works get poisoned and killed. "I heard her cry before I saw her die," he recalled. That dog, too, had its ear tagged, he said. - 'Bad image' - An online petition launched by the International Animal Coalition to end the "violent killing of dogs on the streets and beaches of Morocco" has gathered nearly 75,000 signatures. In June, an activist interrupted a FIFA Club World Cup match, invading the pitch with a sign that read: "Morocco: stop shooting dogs and cats". France's Brigitte Bardot Foundation, created by the movie star in 1986 to promote animal protection, has called on FIFA to block Morocco from hosting the 2030 tournament. Moroccan Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit has decried "media attacks" against the government with "wrong and out-of-context information". Advocates say Morocco has around three million stray dogs, but no official figures exist. Each year, there are about 100,000 stray dog bites nationwide, according to official data. In 2024, authorities said 33 people died from rabies, which is often transmitted by unvaccinated animals. "Local officials still see dogs on the streets as presenting a bad image," said Salima Kadaoui, 52, who launched the Hayat project, using the TNVR method to help control the stray dog population in Tangiers and aiming at eradicating rabies. - Rabies 'police' - Kadaoui commended government efforts to protect animals, saying she was "fully available" to work with authorities and build up on the success of Hayat -- meaning "life" in Arabic -- which has treated more than 4,600 dogs in Tangiers alone since 2016. She said it was "essential" not to kill TNVR-tagged dogs and to return them to the same place. "They're like police against rabies. If a rabid dog shows up, they drive it away and protect the community." The government has invested more than $24 million in creating clinics capable of implementing TNVR en masse, said Mohammed Roudani, head of hygiene and green spaces at the interior ministry. One clinic is already active in Al Arjat, near the capital Rabat, where veterinarian Youssef Lhor said more than 500 dogs had been treated this year and nearly half of them released back to the areas where they had been captured. A young female dog, tagged "636", was recovering at the clinic after being sterilised, and will soon be released. "Sometimes people tell us: 'You took the dogs away, why are you bringing them back?'" said Lhor, highlighting the need for public awareness on the issue. Moroccan authorities have developed a mobile app explaining what these clinics do, and allowing users to report sightings of stray dogs. Kadaoui said it was important to educate people on proper behaviour around strays and to warn against myths, like the idea that spitting on a dog bite could heal the injury.
7NEWS
11 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Tennis champion Elina Svitolina speaks out after receiving sickening death threats
WARNING: Disturbing content below. Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina has spoken out about the deluge of hateful abuse she received online from frustrated gamblers after losing a match in Canada. The world No.13 received messages including wishing her death and celebrating Russia killing her compatriots. Following her straight-sets loss to Naomi Osaka in the quarter-finals of the National Bank Open on Tuesday, Svitolina posted screenshots of the messages on Instagram. The abuse was directed at her, while other racial slurs also targeted her husband - French tennis player Gael Monfils who is Black. One abuser hoped Russia 'kills all you sh**** Ukrainians' in the war raging in Svitolina's country. Another said: 'I just hope you f****** die tonight,' before adding a comment which is too horrific to publish. The tennis star posted screenshots of several other obscene messages which have no place being published, before speaking out on her Instagram story. 'To all the bettors: I'm a mum before I'm an athlete,' Svitolina wrote. 'The way you talk to women — to mothers — is SHAMEFUL. If your mothers saw your messages, they'd be disgusted.' Earlier this year, British player Katie Boulter said she had received death threats during the French Open targeting her and her family, while the WTA and ITF called on betting companies to do more to stem the flood of online abuse players face on social media. Boulter, the girlfriend of Australian star Alex de Minaur, told the BBC in an interview online abuse has become the norm and she thinks many of the messages are sent by people who are placing bets on tennis matches. Her comments coincided with the WTA and ITF publishing a first season-wide report into online abuse, showing 458 tennis players were targeted by more than 8,000 abusive comments and posts on social media in 2024. The report said 40 per cent of the abuse came from 'angry gamblers'.
