Australian Border Force officers at Sydney Airport intercepted two passengers – a 26-year-old Briton and a 28-year-old Dutch national – who had arrived on 22 January from South-East Asia and were exhibiting nervous behaviour in the arrivals hall. A targeted examination and subsequent hospital scans revealed each had ingested 106 latex-wrapped pellets containing cocaine. Over the weekend the men expelled a combined 2.33 kg of the drug, worth an estimated AU$757 000.
The pair were charged on 25 January 2026 with importing a marketable quantity of a border-controlled substance and face life imprisonment if convicted. AFP Detective-Superintendent Morgen Blunden used the case to warn would-be couriers that internal concealment carries lethal health risks as well as severe legal penalties.
Travellers and corporate mobility teams keen to stay on the right side of Australia’s stringent entry rules can streamline visa preparation through VisaHQ, whose online portal walks applicants through eVisitor, ETA and temporary work-visa requirements and submits documentation directly to ABF-compatible systems—details at https://www.visahq.com/australia/.
![ABF detects 212 cocaine pellets swallowed by UK and Dutch travellers on Sydney flight]()
For airlines and travel-risk managers the incident underscores the ABF’s increasing reliance on behavioural-analysis teams and advanced body-scanners rather than solely on checked-baggage profiling. Corporate travellers should expect longer clearance times at Sydney and Melbourne during the current peak-arrival window as ABF steps up random questioning and secondary screening.
Mobility advisers are reminded to brief relocating staff on Australia’s zero-tolerance drug regime: passengers can be selected for x-ray or CT examination without cause, and the mere presence of drug residue on personal items can trigger further searches. Employers sponsoring temporary visas may see applications scrutinised if staff attract border-control notices.
The bust also highlights cooperation between ABF and overseas counterparts; Dutch and UK authorities are now tracing upstream supply chains, a development that could result in additional ‘controlled deliveries’ and surprise audits of freight forwarders handling personal effects.
The pair were charged on 25 January 2026 with importing a marketable quantity of a border-controlled substance and face life imprisonment if convicted. AFP Detective-Superintendent Morgen Blunden used the case to warn would-be couriers that internal concealment carries lethal health risks as well as severe legal penalties.
Travellers and corporate mobility teams keen to stay on the right side of Australia’s stringent entry rules can streamline visa preparation through VisaHQ, whose online portal walks applicants through eVisitor, ETA and temporary work-visa requirements and submits documentation directly to ABF-compatible systems—details at https://www.visahq.com/australia/.
For airlines and travel-risk managers the incident underscores the ABF’s increasing reliance on behavioural-analysis teams and advanced body-scanners rather than solely on checked-baggage profiling. Corporate travellers should expect longer clearance times at Sydney and Melbourne during the current peak-arrival window as ABF steps up random questioning and secondary screening.
Mobility advisers are reminded to brief relocating staff on Australia’s zero-tolerance drug regime: passengers can be selected for x-ray or CT examination without cause, and the mere presence of drug residue on personal items can trigger further searches. Employers sponsoring temporary visas may see applications scrutinised if staff attract border-control notices.
The bust also highlights cooperation between ABF and overseas counterparts; Dutch and UK authorities are now tracing upstream supply chains, a development that could result in additional ‘controlled deliveries’ and surprise audits of freight forwarders handling personal effects.
