A black flight out of Bulolo in the Morobe Province, carrying methamphetamine, was intercepted by the Australian Federal Police after it landed in rural Queensland to re-fuel.
A 41-year-old Brisbane woman has now been charged for her alleged involvement in facilitating this importation of drugs into Australia, after she appeared before the Brisbane Court Magistrate yesterday.
Her arrest follows on from the arrest of six men in Australia and eight people in PNG last March who are alleged to be members of a transnational organised crime syndicate.
The woman who is the owner and director of a logistics company in Papua New Guinea, is alleged to have actively facilitated the drug importation including allegedly storing the methamphetamine prior to the importation, buying bags for its transportation, and paying for the fuel and runway in Bulolo used for the black flight.
Police executed a search warrant on the woman’s Brisbane property in March 2023 after the arrests.
Enquiries revealed the methamphetamine had been stored in a commercial premises operated by the woman in PNG prior to the flight.
AFP Commander Investigations Eastern Command Kate Ferry said the arrest was a testament to the diligent and relentless work of the AFP and its partners.
“Criminals will go to great, and often dangerous, lengths to get drugs into Australia, and this matter is an example of that.”
“This investigation is also an example of how the AFP will continue to pursue organised crime groups no matter what state or country they operate in, or how long it takes,” Commander Ferry said.
“Methamphetamine is an insidious drug that has ripple effects on the user, their loved ones and the wider community.”
” This importation had an estimated street value of more than $15 million (K40 million).”
Investigations into how the drugs entered PNG remain ongoing.
The AFP-led joint investigation, codenamed Operation Gepard, involved members from NSW Police Force, Queensland Police Services, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, and the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary.