Vietnamese couple charged for importing 18L of liquid ice

A Vietnamese man and woman have been charged after allegedly trying to important 18 litres of the drug ice into Australia.

The 63-year-old man and 54-year-old woman were arrested at Sydney International Airport on Thursday after arriving on a flight from Vietnam.

Australian Border Force officers discovered the drugs after an x-ray of their baggage revealed inconsistencies.

The baggage was found to contain 36 green bottles labelled as sparkling water, which upon further testing proved positive for methamphetamine.

Australian Federal Police  arrested and charged the couple with importing commercial quantities of border controlled drugs.

The pair were due to appear in Central Local Court in Sydney on Friday, with the charges carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Australian Border Force Acting Regional Commander for NSW Tony McSweeney called the seizure another example of ABF’s ability to stop drugs being smuggled into Australia.

‘This is not the first time this year and I’m sure it won’t be the last where ABF officers at Sydney International Airport have managed to stop a large quantity of illicit drugs reaching the streets,’ he said.

Simone O’Mahony, the Australian Federal Police’s Acting Sydney Airport Commander, added that their members at the airport were continually surprised at how far people would go to import drugs.

‘What they don’t realise is these attempts to smuggle in illicit substances can and do come to the attention of law enforcement,’ she said.

‘And we are ready to apply the full force of the law in response.’ 

Their baggage was found to contain 36 green bottles labelled as sparkling water (pictured), which upon further testing proved a positive result for methamphetamine

The pair were due to appear in Central Local Court in Sydney on Friday, charged with importing commercial quantities of border controlled drugs, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment