The bizarre place customs found FIVE hard drives on passenger who allegedly tried to smuggle child abuse material into Australia
The Sydney man landed from Fiji in the early hours of June 25 and was selected for screening by Australian Border Force (ABF) officers.
A large volume of child abuse material was allegedly discovered on his phone across several applications.
The man said during an interview that he had deleted images prior to arriving in Australia.
Officers found an additional mobile phone, a tablet, smart watch, hard drive and laptop during a baggage examination.
These items have been held for further inspection.
ABF officers conducted a frisk search on the 52-year-old which revealed he had five additional hard drives hidden in his shoes and one in his underwear.
The Sydney man was immediately arrested and charged with multiple charges including importation of child abuse material, use of a carriage service to transmit child abuse material and obstruction of Commonwealth officials.
Acting Superintendent Michael Mahony branded the lengths the 52-year-old man went to conceal his crime as 'disturbing'.
'This detection is the direct result of a robust combination of intelligence profiling, data analysis, and the vigilance of our front line officers,' acting superintendent Mahony said.
'But this isn't just about apprehending this individual – it's about protecting children from harm.
'Every file intercepted is a potential crime prevented, and a child safeguarded.'
'This case is a disturbing example of the extreme lengths some individuals go to in order to conceal their criminal activity, and we congratulate the officers involved for removing one more predator from our streets.'
The Sydney man was refused bail and will reappear in court on August 19.
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