Woman Charged over attempting to Smuggle $36 Million worth of Meth at Sydney Airport

2026-01-27 - 06:27

Source: 7News A routine luggage search at Sydney Airport has allegedly uncovered a significant drug haul. A 32-year-old woman from Sydney’s west has been charged after allegedly attempting to smuggle $36 million worth of drugs into Australia in her suitcases. The woman arrived at Sydney Airport on a flight from South Africa on Saturday afternoon when border officials conducted a search of her luggage after an x-ray of her bags allegedly identifying anomalies in two of the woman’s suitcases. Authorities allegedly uncovered more than 39 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in vacuum sealed bags inside her belongings. Police Uncovered significant amount of Meth worth $36 Million. Photo Credit: 7News “This amount of methamphetamine, had it reached the Australian community, had an estimated street value of about $36.7 million, with the potential for about 390,000 street-level deals,” Australian Federal Police said in a statement. She was arrested and has been charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug and possessing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug. The woman faced court on Monday. The arrest is the latest in a series of disrupted illicit drug imports by alleged drug mules attempting to move through Australian airports in recent days, with seven people charged and more than 100kg of illicit substances seized at the border. “We have disrupted these criminal supply chains, and these arrests should serve as a warning to criminal syndicates attempting to import harmful drugs into our country – we are ready and waiting, and you will be caught,” AFP Detective Superintendent Morgen Blunden said.