Criminals will try anything to smuggle items to foreign countries. We have all heard stories of how criminals try to smuggle drugs or other illegal items to other countries to earn a profit but this latest story is one that is quite unusual.

Police have stated that more than $1 million in heroin was found concealed inside mahjong tiles at the Sydney International Airport. The heroin was said to be found inside four medium sized black cases of mahjong and domino tiles.

An Australian federal police spokesman stated that the tiles appeared to be of poor quality and they were subjected to further tests by Customs and Border Protection Officers. The heroin was then found after police drilled a hole into the mahjong tiles.

Once police found the heroin in the tiles they arrested a thirty year old Ashcroft man who had arrived in Sydney from Vietnam on November 20th. It has been said that approximately 5.5 kg of heroin was found and it has an estimated street value of $1.25 million. The man is charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug into Australia.



- 2009-11-23