The Thai national, 26, was performing work duties on board an international flight when she arrived at Melbourne Airport on 25th June, 2026, and had her baggage screened by Australian Border Force (ABF) officers.

ABF officers identified anomalies during an X-ray examination of the woman's 12 tote bags.

Further examinations revealed a white powder concealed within the lining of the bags, with presumptive testing allegedly returning a positive reading for heroin.

The heroin had an estimated street value of $500,000.

ABF officers reported the matter to AFP who seized the tote bags and arrested the woman. She was later charged with:

One count of importing a marketable quantity of a border controlled drug, contrary to section 307.2(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth). This offence carries a maximum penalty of 25 years' imprisonment; and
One count of possessing a marketable quantity of a border controlled drug, contrary to section 307.6(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth). This offence carries a maximum penalty of 25 years' imprisonment.

The woman was remanded in custody on 26th June, 2026, and is expected to reappear before Melbourne Magistrates' Court on 14th September, 2026.

AFP Acting Commander Simone Butcher said the AFP would continue to take a zero-tolerance approach to anyone who exploited their position of trust to facilitate criminal activity.

“The AFP remains unwavering in its efforts to target individuals who use their employment or community standing to support drug trafficking," a/Commander Butcher said.

“We work closely with our partner agencies to protect the community from the scourge of illicit drugs."

ABF Commander Clint Sims said criminal syndicates continued to target trusted insiders, including airline crew, to attempt to smuggle illicit substances into Australia.

“Anyone attempting to import illicit drugs into Australia, regardless of rank or position, will be targeted and face the full force of the law," Commander Sims said.

“ABF officers use intelligence-led targeting and a range of detection capabilities to identify those individuals who attempt to breach our border controls.

ABF officers identified anomalies during an X-ray examination of the woman's 12 tote bags.

Further examinations revealed a white powder concealed within the lining of the bags, with presumptive testing allegedly returning a positive reading for heroin.

The heroin had an estimated street value of $500,000.

ABF officers reported the matter to AFP who seized the tote bags and arrested the woman. She was later charged with:

One count of importing a marketable quantity of a border controlled drug, contrary to section 307.2(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth). This offence carries a maximum penalty of 25 years' imprisonment; and
One count of possessing a marketable quantity of a border controlled drug, contrary to section 307.6(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth). This offence carries a maximum penalty of 25 years' imprisonment.

The woman was remanded in custody on 26th June, 2026, and is expected to reappear before Melbourne Magistrates' Court on 14th September, 2026.

AFP Acting Commander Simone Butcher said the AFP would continue to take a zero-tolerance approach to anyone who exploited their position of trust to facilitate criminal activity.

“The AFP remains unwavering in its efforts to target individuals who use their employment or community standing to support drug trafficking," a/Commander Butcher said.

“We work closely with our partner agencies to protect the community from the scourge of illicit drugs."

ABF Commander Clint Sims said criminal syndicates continued to target trusted insiders, including airline crew, to attempt to smuggle illicit substances into Australia.

“Anyone attempting to import illicit drugs into Australia, regardless of rank or position, will be targeted and face the full force of the law," Commander Sims said.

“ABF officers use intelligence-led targeting and a range of detection capabilities to identify those individuals who attempt to breach our border controls.

This week, the Drewry World Container Index neared the $4,200 per FEU level, driven upward 40 percent year-over-year thanks to strong demand from American importers and strong ex-China bookings. The SCFI has more than doubled compared to rates seen last year.

Part of the cause is the expectation of soon-to-come tariff hikes. After the Supreme Court struck down the White House's International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariff rates earlier this year, the administration used a separate set of legal authorities - Section 122 - to impose blanket import tariffs of 15 percent on all nations.

The Section 122 tariffs expire at the end of July, and President Donald Trump is widely expected to announce additional new tariffs to replace them. That prediction is proving accurate: on Friday, he threatened import duties of 100 percent on any nation that collects taxes on the overseas revenues of U.S. tech companies, taking aim at European plans for a digital services tax.

"The section 122 tariffs will expire on July 24th and it is not yet known which new tariffs, likely from the Section 301 investigations, will supersede them," commented freight market expert Lars Jensen in a LinkedIn post.

For importers, the current 15 percent baseline tariff under Section 122 appears favorable, as it is equal to or less than the IEEPA rates in effect last year - and likely better than what might be available in several months' time, forwarders and BCOs told the Wall Street Journal.

To take advantage of current tariff rates, bookings for the annual holiday season imports are getting moved up, and freight rates are increasing accordingly. The benchmark Shanghai-LA box rate is up 12 percent this week alone, according to Drewry, reaching $5,750 per forty-foot container. Southeast Asia-USWC rates have also soared abruptly, a welcome reprieve for ocean carriers.

It may be a short-lived bump, according to Jensen. Container spot rate futures on the NYFI index suggest that investors expect a substantial drop from the current heights within just a month's time, Jensen noted - aligned with the expected imposition of new tariff rates.

Container carrier giant CMA CGM confirmed in a brief statement that it has been able to move one of its trapped vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

The 154,222 dwt CMA CGM Galapagos has now anchored off Muscat, Oman, after having been trapped in the Persian Gulf since the start of the conflict at the end of February. No details were provided on the transit of the vessel, but tracking shows it proceeded to the Iranian-sanctioned route near Lark Island.

Built in 2022, it is an ultra-large container vessel registered in France with a capacity of 15,254 TEU. Other carriers, such as Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk, and Evergreen, have also highlighted that they were able to move vessels out of the Gulf, but most of them have been smaller feeder-type vessels.

CMA CGM called the safe transit of its vessel “an important milestone in a regional context,” but did not provide additional details. The online routing shows the vessel is resuming a trip to China, where it is shown to be arriving in mid-July. CMA CGM said it has 10 additional vessels that remain in the Persian Gulf, but did not comment on any plans to possibly evacuate other ships.

It comes after IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Domingues said on Friday that they had been able to evacuate at least 115 vessels in three-and-a-half days before suspending their efforts. He said that represented about 2,500 seafarers out of an estimated 11,000 seafarers aboard around 600 ships still trapped in the Gulf.

The IMO said it had paused the operation after the IRGC made statements that vessels in the region that used an unauthorized corridor would be subject to “legal sanctions.” Dominguez said they were following up on that statement when they learned the Ever Lovely had been struck, and that prompted the pause.

He also repeated the statement that the Ever Lovely had not been in touch with the Omani officials and was not following the IMO’s procedures, although Evergreen Line says it was transiting on the route recommended by UK Maritime Trade operations.

Container carrier giant CMA CGM confirmed in a brief statement that it has been able to move one of its trapped vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

The French national, currently residing in Manning, was stopped by Australian Border Force (ABF) officers as she arrived at Perth International Airport from Thailand on 29th May, 2026.

During an examination of her baggage, ABF officers allegedly found a small container marked 'Body Wash'. The liquid was tested and identified as 50g of Butanediol, a declared border-controlled drug.

ABF officers also searched the woman's phone where it is alleged they found an image indicating she may be internally concealing a border-controlled drug.

The matter was referred to the AFP, and the woman later expelled 40 steroid tablets, which were seized for forensic testing.

She was charged with one count of importing a marketable quantity of border-controlled drugs, contrary to section 307.2 of the Criminal Code (Cth). This offence carries a maximum penalty of 25 years' imprisonment.

AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Peter Brindal said law enforcement remained vigilant in preventing illicit substances entering Australia through our airports.

 “The AFP works closely with the ABF to ensure illicit substances don't make it through the arrivals gate," Det a/Superintendent Brindal said.

“Anyone contemplating being involved in drug importation should be aware this is a serious offence. The penalties can be severe and those involved will be detected, arrested and held to account before the courts."

ABF Superintendent John Eldridge said ABF officers were committed to protecting the community from illegal and harmful drugs entering Australia on passengers at the border.