Authorities foil NSW woman’s alleged attempt to import 39kg of methamphetamine into Australia

A NSW woman is expected to appear in the NSW Local Court on Monday, 26 January 2026, after allegedly attempting to smuggle more than 39kg of methamphetamine into Australia, concealed inside her luggage.

Australian Border Force (ABF) officers selected the woman, 32, for a baggage examination upon her arrival on board an international flight from South Africa to Sydney Saturday afternoon (24 January, 2026), and an x-ray of her luggage allegedly identifying anomalies in two of the woman’s suitcases.

ABF officers searched the Western Sydney woman’s luggage and allegedly located about 20kg of white powder concealed in vacuum-sealed bags, while a search of the second suitcase identified similar packages, allegedly containing 19kg of an identical white powder.

ABF presumptive testing returned a positive result for methamphetamine, with an estimated total weight of 39kg.  

This amount of methamphetamine, had it reached the Australian community, had an estimated street value of about $36.7 million, with the potential for about 390,000 street-level deals.