A 19-year-old man arriving in Australia from Singapore was arrested and charged by Australian Border Force (ABF) officers yesterday, after being found in possession of thousands of videos and images of what is alleged to be child abuse material.
The Bangladeshi man, a permanent resident of Australia, was subject to a baggage examination on arrival into Sydney Airport by the ABF.
Officers initially located a quantity of undeclared medications, with a subsequent examination of his mobile phones identifying alleged explicit material.
The man was arrested and charged by ABF Investigators under section 233BAB(5) of the Customs Act 1901, intentionally importing tier 2 goods, which if convicted, could result in up to 10 years' imprisonment.
ABF Enforcement and Detained Goods East Commander Justin Bathurst said border detection technology, combined with skilled officers working at Australia's international entry points, were both invaluable sources of community protection.
"Material found to contain the alleged abuse and exploitation of child victims has no place in Australia, or anywhere else in the world," Commander Bathurst said.
"We have zero tolerance for those attempting to import this material and will not only pursue prosecution, but also work with domestic and international partners to identify and remove child victims from harm.
"The Australian border is arguably our most important national asset, and we will continue to make it a hostile place for those seeking to bring in illegal items - be it drugs, firearms or abhorrent child abuse material."
The man appeared before the Downing Centre Local Court on 9 February 2023, where he was granted bail subject to strict bail conditions until his next scheduled court appearance in May 2023.
Anyone with information about suspicious border activity or border-related crime in their community can report it anytime through Border Watch at borderwatch.gov.au. Information can be provided anonymously.
