A US man will appear in a Brisbane court today after he was arrested over an alleged attempt to smuggle cocaine hidden in haircare product bottles into Australia.
On December 26, 2024, Australian Border Force officers at Brisbane Airport selected the man, 33, for a search after drug detection dogs alerted them.
The man had travelled to Brisbane on a flight from the US.
ABF officers retrieved a 946ml shampoo bottle and a conditioner bottle of the same size from the man’s luggage.
Preliminary drug tests allegedly returned a positive result for cocaine.
Police allege the combined weight of the cocaine was 2.2 kilograms, which could have been sold as 11,000 street deals for an estimated $880,000.
The man was arrested by Australian Federal Police and charged with importing drugs.
If found guilty, the man could face a maximum 25-year prison sentence.
He was refused bail in court on 27 December and remained in custody to re-appear today.
