Two French Women Caught Smuggling 32kg Meth in Australia

Sydney, July 13 – Two young French women have been charged for trying to smuggle over 30 kilograms of methamphetamine into Australia, authorities said on Sunday.

The women, aged 19 and 20, were stopped by Australian Border Force (ABF) officers at Brisbane International Airport on Tuesday after arriving on a flight from Southeast Asia.

During a search of their bags, officers found 32 packages wrapped in plastic. Tests confirmed the substance was methamphetamine, a dangerous illegal drug.

The case was handed over to the Australian Federal Police (AFP). Officers arrested the two women and took 32 kg of meth into custody.

According to the AFP, the seized drugs have a street value of over 29 million Australian dollars (about 19 million US dollars) and could have made 320,000 small drug deals on the streets.

Both women were charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug. If found guilty, they could face life in prison.

The ABF said the arrests followed intelligence reports and travel patterns similar to a previous case. Earlier in July, four other women were caught trying to smuggle 30 kg of cocaine into Australia the same way — hidden in luggage.

Acting ABF Commander Troy Sokoloff said it’s very unlikely that the women acted alone. He believes they were part of a larger drug network.

“This result sends a clear message that the ABF will continue to detect and disrupt these syndicates,” said Commander Sokoloff.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the case to find out more about the criminal group behind the smuggling attempt.