Australian Man Charged for Attempting to Import Meth

Authorities in Australia arrested and charged a man for allegedly importing kilograms of methamphetamine from Canada.

The 38-year-old man from Perth, Western Australia, was charged in the Perth Magistrate’s Court after law enforcement officers discovered more than four kilograms of methamphetamine hidden behind a painting in a package.

The Australian Federal Police launched the investigation in early October 2021 after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police notified them of a package of drugs destined for Western Australia.

The package had three vacuum-sealed bags hidden within the frame of a painting. The bags contained a total of 4.1 kilograms of a white substance that tested positive for methamphetamine.

After the package arrived in Australia, AFP investigators replaced the drugs with an inert substance that resembled methamphetamine. Authorities delivered the package to the residence on October 28. The 38-year-old suspect allegedly accepted the delivery of the package.

The investigators later executed a search warrant at the residence and found that the package had been opened. According to the press release, the defendant had placed the methamphetamine inside a pillowcase and buried the pillowcase in a garden. Other parts of the package, including the wooden picture frame, were found in or near garbage bins.

The 38-year-old was charged with attempting to possess a marketable quantity of a border-controlled drug at the Perth Magistrate’s Court on October 29. He was placed on remand and is set to appear before the court on November 19.