Australian Border Force (ABF) officers in Sydney have discovered liquid methamphetamine worth more than $1 million concealed in a consignment of snow globes.
The consignment was targeted by ABF Aviation Goods officers after arriving from Canada.
The 15 snow globes were X-rayed and subject to further examination, with substance identification testing of the liquid inside returning a presumptive positive result for methamphetamine.
The detection was referred to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) for further investigation.
ABF Regional Commander NSW Danielle Yannopoulos said the detection highlighted the significant role ABF officers play in protecting the community from illicit substances.
"Our officers work tirelessly to prevent these harmful drugs from making it into Australian communities, and I'm proud of the results they continue to achieve," Commander Yannopoulos said.
"The ABF has invested heavily in our technological capability in recent years and we can see further into every package than ever before.
"Our officers continue to prove, time and time again, that criminals who attempt to hide these substances in new and imaginative ways are wasting their time. It doesn't matter how clever you think your concealment is – we can find it."
In the 2017-18 financial year, the ABF processed more than 50 million air cargo consignments, three million sea cargo consignments, and inspected more than 54 million international mail items.
Anyone with information about the importation of prohibited items is urged to contact Border Watch by visiting australia.gov.au/borderwatch. You can provide information anonymously.
