A FRENCH woman who flew to Perth from Thailand was set to appear in Perth Magistrates Court on June 26 charged with allegedly importing a border-controlled drug, colloquially called “fantasy”, inside a bottle of body wash on May 29, Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Border Force (ABF) said.
She was arrested before a Thai Airways International flight attendant was apprehended at Melbourne Airport on charges of heroin trafficking late last week after over 1 kilogramme of heroin worth 11.4 million baht was found in the linings of her 12 tote bags.
During an examination of the unidentified 31-year-old French woman’s baggage, ABF officers allegedly found a small container marked “Body Wash”. The liquid was tested and identified as 50g of Butanediol, a declared border-controlled drug widely known as “fantasy”.
ABF officers also searched the woman’s phone where it is alleged they found an image indicating she may be internally concealing a border-controlled drug.
The matter was referred to the AFP, and the woman later expelled 40 steroid tablets, which were seized for forensic testing.
She was charged with one count of importing a marketable quantity of border-controlled drugs, contrary to section 307.2 of the Criminal Code (Cth). This offence carries a maximum penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment.
ABF Superintendent John Eldridge said ABF officers were committed to protecting the community from illegal and harmful drugs entering Australia on passengers at the border.
“Butanediol is an extremely dangerous chemical solvent that the body converts to Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) when ingested, and just a few milligrammes can result in death,” Supt Eldridge said.
“Because it is so dangerous, Butanediol was declared a border-controlled drug in Australia in 2024, so when it is illegally imported it is considered to be on par with other more well-known drugs like methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine.”
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Top and Front Page: Pixelated image of the French woman arrested on drug smuggling charges in Australia. Photo – The Australian
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