A traveller from the United States has been arrested after asking airport staff to help her find lost luggage that was allegedly packed with methamphetamine.
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The woman's request to Sydney Airport staff led to the discovery of 17kg of the illicit substance, the Australian Federal Police said in a statement on Friday.
The traveller, from San Francisco, approached airline staff on Thursday claiming she could not locate her bags.
About the same time, a suitcase marked with her surname was found in baggage claim and referred to border force officers.
The officers examined the suitcase and allegedly found a white crystalline substance in vacuum-sealed packages, concealed inside packing cubes, federal police said.
The US national was due to face Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Friday.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
ABF Superintendent Elke West said the agency's officers were "always on the lookout for suspicious passenger behaviour".
"If you attempt to import illicit drugs into this country you will be stopped in your tracks," Supt West said.
Meth, a potent central nervous system stimulant, is one of the most common illicit drugs in Australia, with authorities in 2023/24 seizing about 11 tonnes of the substance at the border.
Australia is an attractive market for drug traffickers due to the high street value of illicit drugs, such as meth, across the country.
Australian Associated Press
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