A CRUISE passenger has been charged after authorities found about 10 kilograms of cocaine hidden in the cabin of a ship visiting Sydney.
Australian Border Force officers allegedly found the drugs hidden in the ceiling cavity of the man’s cabin when they searched the ship on Saturday (15 March).
The ship, “from Argentina”, was boarded after it docked in Sydney Harbour.
There were allegedly 28 individually wrapped packages of cocaine hidden in the ceiling cavity, along with body packing material in the cavity and in the wardrobe. Authorities noted the material is used by drug couriers to try to carry drugs across borders or other security checkpoints without detection.
ABF alerted the Australian Federal Police after initial testing of the substance in the packages returned a positive result for cocaine. Police found evidence of drug trafficking when they reviewed the man’s mobile phone.
The passenger, a 48-year-old Brazilian national, was due to appear before Downing Centre Local Court today (17 March) charged with importing and possessing border-controlled drugs.
Both offences carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
ABF Superintendent Matt O’Connor said officers were assessing intelligence and working with partner agencies to monitor all entry points into Australia.
“The cruising season brings with it additional opportunity for criminal syndicates to attempt to smuggle illicit drugs into the country, however Border Force officers are very attuned to their pivoting tactics,” he said.
“Our ABF officers process and border clear thousands of passengers and crew members on every international cruise ship which arrives into Sydney, and are ready to respond to any threat which may present itself.”
AFP estimates the cocaine could have been sold in the community as 10,000 one-gram “street deals” for a total of $3 million.
