SYDNEY, Dec 27 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Australian authorities charged a 40-year-old woman after 15 kilograms (kg) of methamphetamine was found in her luggage at Sydney Airport on Friday, reported Xinhua.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Border Force (ABF) said in a joint statement on Saturday that the woman was stopped for a routine examination upon her arrival at the airport.
During the examination, ABF officers allegedly found 18 vacuum-sealed bags labelled as "tea" and containing a clear crystalline substance in the woman's luggage.
Presumptive testing of the substance returned a positive result for methamphetamine, with an estimated weight of 15 kg.
ABF handed over the matter to AFP officers, who arrested the woman and seized the illicit drugs.
The seizure had an estimated street value of more than AUD13 million (about US$8.73 million) and could have resulted in around 150,000 individual street deals.
The woman was charged with one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug.
The offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, according to the joint statement.
--BERNAMA-XINHUA
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