Drugs

Mail contractor charged over alleged importation of 3kg ‘ice’

A man contracted to deliver mail on Sydney’s Northern Beaches is charged following investigations into the attempted importation of illicit drugs.

Australian Border Force (ABF) officers inspected two packages which arrived in Sydney via air cargo from Mexico. Both packages – which were declared to contain handbags – were x-rayed, and after ABF officers noted inconsistencies, they were deconstructed and inspected further.

The bags were all found to have false bottoms, with each concealing another bag containing a crystalline-like substance, which was tested and returned a presumptive positive result for methylamphetamine (ice).

The matter was referred to the NSW Police Force and a total of about 2.3kg of ice was seized. Detectives from Northern Beaches Police Area Command established Strike Force Pulleine to investigate the import.

During the investigation, a third package from The Netherlands and addressed a home on the Northern Beaches, was intercepted by ABF officers at the Sydney Gateway Facility.

It was also found to contain 1kg of ice, which was concealed in the soles of dozens of pairs of thongs. The package was then seized by strike force investigators.