SYDNEY, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Australian authorities confirmed on Friday that a 43-year-old woman has been charged with allegedly importing about 1.5 kg of heroin concealed in her luggage.
According to a joint statement by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Border Force, the West Australian woman was stopped by officers at Brisbane International Airport on Jan. 8, after arriving on a flight from overseas.
About 1.5 kg of a substance was found in the lining of her suitcase, which returned a positive result for heroin following a presumptive test.
The woman was charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled substance, namely heroin, and remanded in custody to face court on Friday.
She could face up to 25 years' imprisonment as the maximum penalty for her offense.
"This amount of heroin has an estimated potential street value of 525,000 Australian dollars and could have accounted for about 7,500 individual hits of heroin, had it reached the Australian community," said AFP Superintendent Adrian Telfer.
The AFP officers will also undertake further forensic testing to determine the exact weight and purity of the illicit drugs. (1 Australian dollar equals to about 0.66 U.S. dollars) ■