A Queensland man has been charged with drug trafficking after Australian Border Force officers found methamphetamine in furniture legs sent from Malaysia.

September 17, 2020

A Queensland man linked to a bungled bid to smuggle illegal drugs from Malaysia hidden in furniture legs has been charged with trafficking.

The 28-year-old was charged after Australian Border Force officers intercepted three packages of methamphetamine at various air cargo depots around the country.

Police have also arrested a 37-year-old Perth man after officers allegedly found four kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in furniture in his car.

The first intercepted package arrived at Perth’s air cargo depot in a parcel labelled as flat-pack shoe racks and shelves for an address in Bunbury, in southwest WA, a spokeswoman said in a statement on Thursday.

An x-ray of the package revealed what appeared to be gap-filler spilling out of some furniture legs.

When officers examined these they allegedly found about two kilograms of methamphetamine.

Four days later, ABF officers intercepted a second identical package which also allegedly had two kilograms of drugs concealed in furniture legs.

The third package arrived in Brisbane, with officers allegedly finding a further 1.8kg of methamphetamine in eight furniture legs.

The drugs led police to the Queensland man’s Logan home where officers allegedly found three kilograms of illegal drugs and $491,000 in cash.

The man was charged with possessing a commercial quantity of border controlled drug, trafficking and dealing in the proceeds of crime.

He faced the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Tuesday and is scheduled to reappear on September 22.

The man arrested in Perth was charged with two counts of attempting to possess prohibited drugs, one count of possession of a prohibited drug and possession of stolen property.

He is scheduled to appear in Perth Magistrates Court on October 20.