Airport freight worker charged with importing pseudoephedrine

Australian media are reporting one of the men worked for Qantas.
Australian media are reporting one of the men worked for Qantas. Photo credit: Australian Federal Police

Two Sydney men have been charged in connection to the 2020 seizure of 156 kilograms of pseudoephedrine.

They were caught as part of an Australian Federal Police (AFP) investigation into the activities of an airline freight employee. The Australian is reporting one of the men is a Qantas employee.

The airline freight worker is suspected of using his role to advise multiple criminal syndicates about law enforcements' level of interest into incoming consignments, resulting in officers executing two search warrants on June 8.

It is alleged the 51-year-old Darling Point man and a 36-year-old East Hills man were involved in importing 156 kilograms of pseudoephedrine in fabric rolls from India via air cargo, which was seized by Australian Border Force officers in October 2020.

Approximately AU$15,000 in cash and multiple electronic devices were seized from the homes of one of the men, while a mobile phone was seized from searching the home of the other.

Both men were arrested at their homes and charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled precursor, namely pseudoephedrine into Australia.

The maximum penalty for this offence is 25 years imprisonment.

Police have not ruled out further charges for these men.