Airline worker is charged after $500,000 discovery is allegedly made in her luggage at Melbourne Airport

By SARAH BROOKES - SENIOR REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 05:06, 29 June 2026 | Updated: 05:07, 29 June 2026 An international airline crew member is facing decades behind bars after allegedly trying to smuggle more than $500,000 worth of heroin into Australia. The 26-year-old Thai national was working on board an international flight when she landed at Melbourne Airport on June 25. She was selected for screening by Australian Border Force (ABF) officers when her luggage - 12 tote bags - raised red flags during X-ray checks. A further search uncovered a white powder hidden inside the lining of the bags, with initial tests allegedly returning a positive result for heroin. ABF officers alerted the Australian Federal Police (AFP), who seized the bags and arrested the woman at the airport. She has since been charged with importing and possessing a marketable quantity of a border-controlled drug. The offences each carry a maximum penalty of 25 years behind bars. The woman was remanded in custody the following day and is due to face Melbourne Magistrates' Court on September 14. Her luggage, which included a dozen tote bags, raised red flags during X-ray checks, which allegedly revealed suspicious anomalies A further search uncovered a white powder hidden inside the lining of the bags, with initial tests allegedly returning a positive result for heroin AFP Acting Commander Simone Butcher said authorities would take a zero-tolerance approach to those who abused positions of trust to allegedly traffic drugs. ABF Commander Clint Sims warned criminal syndicates were increasingly targeting airline staff as 'trusted insiders' to breach Australia's borders. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.