EastEnders spin-off star Emaa Hussen has been charged with allegedly attempting to import £157m worth of methamphetamine into Australia.
The British actor, 34, appeared in a Sydney Court on Thursday (18 June), with police alleging that Hussen, along with a couple from South Australia, tried to import 320kg of meth hidden in bags of charcoal.
The drugs, which were transported in shipping containers from Ghana, are worth A$296m (£157m).
Hussen was best known for playing Naz Mehmet in EastEnders spin-off E20. She starred in the series from 2010 until 2011 alongside Emer Kenny, Ricky Norwood and Tosin Cole.
She went on to land a small role in Steven Knight’s 2013 film Hummingbird, which starred Jason Statham as a former special forces soldier who gets pulled into London’s criminal underworld. However, she has not worked as an actor since.
Hussen was refused bail by the court last month, having been charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs. She was charged alongside an Adelaide-based couple, 30 and 32, who were charged in April over their alleged involvement. Hussen will be back in court in August.
The Australian Federal Police revealed that an investigation was launched after Australian Border Force officers detected anomalies in two shipping containers in Sydney’s Port Botany.
“It will be alleged the UK national attended the storage facility and supervised a number of men as they unpacked the container,” the AFP said, saying that a further 32 bags alleged to have previously contained meth were found at Hussen’s home.
“This operation highlights the agility of the AFP and our partners to investigate complex matters across jurisdictions and stop organised crime syndicates in their tracks,” AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Trevor Robinson said in a statement.
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“The seizure of these drugs – with an estimated street value of $296 million – has prevented a potential 3.2 million deals from reaching Australian streets and demonstrates the AFP’s ability to operate seamlessly across borders.”
The Independent has contacted the Australian Federal Police for further comment.
On E20, Hussen played Naz – a party girl from a traditional Muslim family who struggled to balance her wild Walford life with her parents’ expectations.
Speaking about the role in 2010, she told the BBC: “I got the part because the producers saw something very authentic in me and very real. They knew that I was gonna show Naz’s character in the right way.
“I do come from a traditional family but not really as strict [as] how she is, so to that extent, we’re not really alike but with her rebellious side, I do think we’re kind of alike. Some of her behaviour I don’t really agree with.”
