A 55-year-old man has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years’ jail for importing approximately 179 grams of heroin wrapped in five pellets concealed inside his body.
The French national was arrested in Western Australia in February, after Australian Border Force (ABF) officers selected him for an examination when he arrived in Perth on a flight from Bangkok.
Nothing illegal was found in his luggage but swabs taken of his mobile phone allegedly revealed traces of LSD.
ABF officers then arranged for a non-medical body scan, which returned a positive indication of internal concealment.
The man was referred to the Australian Federal Police and was taken by ambulance to hospital, where he passed five pellets (one of the pellets is pictured) that weighed 270 grams.
The heroin inside weighed approximately 179 grams, which is worth approximately $89,500. Police say the seizure prevented approximately 1790 ‘street level’ deals reaching the Perth community. Â
The man pleaded guilty in Perth District Court to one count of importing a marketable quantity of a border controlled drug. His sentence was backdated to the day of his arrest and he will become eligible for parole in October 2022.
The man, who had been living in Thailand, claimed he was coming to Australia for a holiday. He will likely be deported on his release from prison.
