Police in Australia have arrested and charged a Thai airline employee over allegations they imported more than 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of heroin into Melbourne.
The 26-year-old woman was on duty on board an international flight when she arrived at the Melbourne Airport on Thursday.
She was arrested after raising suspicions during a baggage screening, the Australian Federal Police said in a statement on its website.
It said an X-ray and further examinations found white powder concealed in the linings of her 12 tote bags, and the initial test reportedly returned a positive result for heroin.
The amount had a street value of about 500,000 Australian dollars (about $345,000), it said.
The woman was charged with importing and possessing the drug, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years imprisonment, the police said, adding that she will appear in a Melbourne court in September.
“The AFP remains unwavering in its efforts to target individuals who use their employment or community standing to support drug trafficking,” said the agency’s Acting Commander Simone Butcher.
The Australian police did not identify the woman’s name or the airline she works for, but Thailand’s national airline Thai Airways said in a statement Monday that one of its employees was detained in Melbourne and that it has been cooperating with authorities.
The airline said it will “take decisive action” in the event of misconduct.”Employees are strictly prohibited from possessing, importing, transporting, or being involved in narcotics or any illegal substances or items of any kind,” it said.
It also said it has been coordinating with relevant authorities to ensure access to basic legal rights for the employee.
Importing or exporting narcotics like methamphetamine carries the death penalty in Thailand, though life imprisonment is more commonly imposed.
Thailand has almost completely eliminated opium farming and heroin production, which continues in Myanmar, whose border areas have always been poorly policed. Heroin and other drugs are often smuggled through Laos to Thailand, where much of it is transshipped to overseas destinations such as Australia.
