A 59-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with a purported scheme to import liquid methamphetamine disguised in bottles of cordial and cooking oil. This incident came to light when Australian Border Force (ABF) officers in Perth flagged two suspicious air cargo shipments from Malaysia last week. A drug-detection dog indicated that the contents of these bottles were suspicious, leading to further investigation.
Presumptive tests confirmed that the liquid inside the bottles tested positive for methamphetamine. Following this, officers from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) were alerted, and they seized 27 bottles, allegedly containing a total of 33 litres of the illicit substance.
To carry out a controlled delivery, the authorities replaced the original liquid with a benign substance and dispatched the package to an identified address—a commercial unit located in Rockingham—on 18 July. The accused reportedly received the shipment, opened the bottles, and photographed their contents.
After leaving the industrial unit, the suspect returned to his residence in Kelmscott, where he was apprehended. A subsequent search of both the industrial site and his home yielded the original shipments, as well as $45,000 in cash found frozen, small amounts of suspected methamphetamine and cannabis, ammunition, a crossbow, and several mobile phones.
Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine the source of the cash and to identify any other individuals who may be implicated in this alleged drug trafficking network. The man is set to appear in court today.