Four people have allegedly tried to smuggle up to 17kg of heroin hidden in their suitcases into Australia.
The three Canadian nationals and one Dutch citizen have been charged after customs officers examined their bags when they arrived at Melbourne Airport on a flight from China on Monday.
The officers noticed the eight cases felt unusually heavy when emptied, with an X-ray showing a white powder built into the bottom of each bag, Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) and Australian Federal Police said on Tuesday.
A 21-year-old man from the Netherlands, a 20-year-old Canadian man and two Canadian women, aged 19 and 17, have been charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, namely heroin.
ACBPS spokesman Dean Hogarth said the seizure was a significant one for Melbourne airport.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
"This was a sophisticated operation, involving multiple people and numerous bags," he said in a statement.
