The Australian Border Force (ABF), with assistance from the South Australian Police (SAPOL), has arrested the fifth individual suspected of involvement in the importation of cocaine earlier this year.
The arrest was made as part of a joint operation between ABF Regional Investigations South Australia and SAPOL investigating the importation of cocaine into Adelaide.
Three parcels declared as 'divorce papers' and 'comics' were intercepted by ABF officers at Melbourne and Sydney post facilities. When tested, the packages returned positive results for cocaine, and were found to contain more than 2kg of the substance.
The man from the Adelaide suburbs has been charged with one count of importing marketable quantity of a border controlled substance, namely cocaine, contrary to subsection 307.2(1) of the Criminal Code (cth) Act 1995. He has been remanded in custody.
Investigations into the detected importations remain ongoing.
ABF Inspector, Steve Garden, said this highlights the ABF's close work with partner law enforcement agencies to stop the flow of illicit drugs into the Australian community.
"Our ABF investigators have been working tirelessly to piece together the evidence and identify all persons who were involved in this importation," he said.
"Throughout this investigation, our ongoing inter-agency work with SAPOL has greatly assisted our evidence gathering, which has now resulted in the arrest of five people, all of whom are now facing serious charges.
"This should serve as a warning to criminal groups seeking to harm our community by importing dangerous substances. You will not succeed at the Australian border; we will be relentless in tracking and bringing you to justice."
