SINGAPORE (ANN/The Straits Times) – A Singaporean man who allegedly brought 40kg of drugs into Sydney on Feb 20 has been charged in Australia.
In a statement on Feb 25, the Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force said the 55-year-old allegedly imported 32kg of methamphetamine and 8kg of cocaine hidden in his luggage.
Court documents obtained by The Straits Times gave the man’s name as Shanmugam Sundar Darmaraju.
Australian authorities stated that the man had initially claimed he was not carrying checked luggage, after Australian Border Force officers intercepted him upon his arrival in Sydney on a flight from Malaysia on Feb 20. He was then cleared to depart Sydney Airport.
Officers later discovered two suitcases abandoned on a luggage carousel, reportedly bearing identification tags in the man’s name. It was discovered that they contained approximately 32kg of methamphetamine and 8kg of cocaine.
The issue was referred to the Australian Federal Police, who confiscated the luggage and initiated the search for the Singaporean suspect.
He was found to have travelled to Adelaide, and Australian Federal Police officers arrested him on Feb 21 at Adelaide Airport, where he was attempting to board a flight to Malaysia.
The man appeared at the Adelaide Magistrates Court, in South Australia, on Feb 24 and was subsequently extradited to New South Wales. Shanmugam appeared at the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney on Feb 25. He was not released on bail, court officials said.
He is facing two charges for importing a significant amount of a border controlled drug and faces the maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The Australian authorities said the seized methamphetamine has an estimated street value of AUD29.6 million (SGD25.1 million) and could have been sold as about 320,000 street deals.
The seized cocaine has an estimated street value of AUD2.6 million and could have been sold as about 40,000 street deals.
Australian Border Force Superintendent Elke West said this was yet another important seizure of illegal drugs made by the force’s officers at Sydney Airport.
