Earlier this month, the Australian Border Force (ABF) found 100kg (~220 pounds) of methamphetamine hidden inside a consignment of imported PC tower cases. This week, after all the contraband had been removed, the ABF and Australian Federal Police (AFP) arrested a 45-year-old Malaysian man when he allegedly accepted delivery of the imported cases. The unnamed individual will face charges of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs, which could lead to life imprisonment. Do they not show the 20-year-running reality show Border Security: Australia's Front Line in Malaysia?
The foolhardy smuggler appears to have had his partner(s) in crime ship a consignment of at least 12 boxes packed with tower PC cases, which were in turn stuffed with illicit packages. PC cases typically offer generous capacity for today’s powerful PC components which also makes them useful for hiding sizable quantities of illicit goods – like drugs.
These PC towers seem to be in Suncomp-branded outer cartons, but from the glimpses we have they are empty Dell Optiplex cases. Perhaps the cases come from recycling or office surplus, to save budget for more drugs. The images shared by the AFP show that a single case can fit in a considerable amount of contraband.
AFP Acting Superintendent Stuart Millen had some words to share about the PC meth haul “This amount of methamphetamine could have been sold as about one million street level deals. It would have caused widespread harm, with the negative impact felt in domestic violence, in our hospitals and the road toll,” he said. Millen also reminded readers that drug smuggling criminals aren’t nice.
The AFP press release about this case also hints that there were some anomalies that led to them uncovering this smuggling plot. Of course, they don’t explain exactly what the tip-off was, but they know criminal syndicates are hiding “illicit substances in creative cavities to evade our detection.” ABF Acting Commander Matthew O’Connor also claimed this meth smuggling plot was foiled by a combination of the skills of officers on duty and collaboration with federal and state police.
