Man busted at Perth Airport after he allegedly tried to smuggle meth and $70,000 in cash on to a plane
An Australian man has allegedly been busted with tens of thousands of dollars in cash and a ziplock bag of drugs at a busy airport.
An Australian man has allegedly been busted with tens of thousands of dollars in cash and a ziplock bag of drugs at a busy airport.
Australian Federal Police officers intercepted the Victorian man, 47, after he failed a security screening in Perth Airport on September 17.
Upon searching his bags officers allegedly found $70,000 in suspected illicit cash, a glass pipe and a sealed bag containing a crystalline substance.
When officers tested the substance preliminary results revealed that it was methamphetamine.
The mans ticket was booked under another persons name and he was allegedly planning to fly to NSW prior to the failed security screening.
Bodycam footage of an officer emptying his bags showed him sitting with hands clasped while several large white packages are removed from his backpack.
He is facing four charges which carry a combined maximum sentence of eight years.
The man faced Perth Magistrates Court for the first time on September 18 and is expected to return to court on Friday.
The AFP intercepted a Victorian man, 47, after he failed a security screening in Perth Airport at 11.30pm on September 17 (bodycam footage from an officer is pictured)
Upon searching the mans bag officers allegedly found $70,000 in suspected illicit cash, a glass pipe and a sealed bag containing a crystalline substance (pictured)
The 47-year-old was charged with one count of dealing with property reasonably suspected of being the proceeds of crime and one count of false identification information.
He was also charged with one count of possessing a prohibited drug and one count of possessing drug paraphernalia.
AFP acting superintendent Shona Davisa urged Aussie travellers to be on the lookout for suspicious or out of the ordinary people in airports at all times.
The AFP engages with Australias major airports to ensure domestic and international flights are not used as transit routes for criminal activities, she said.
Unexplained sources of cash are often a sign of underlying criminal activity and the AFP has the ability to put people before court to justify that wealth.
Should anybody see someone acting strange at an airport they are advised to call Airport Watch or notify a Airport Uniformed Police officer.
