Woman arrested at the airport: the contents of her suitcase leave the officers speechless
Sydney - You have to pack a lot for a trip: clothes, cosmetics, flip-flops... But what should not necessarily be on the packing list is a gun - especially if you don't have a permit for it! An American woman (28) is now facing up to 10 years in prison.
The woman arrived in Australia from Los Angeles on April 23, the Australian Border Force (ABF) said in a statement. It is not known why her special cargo was not discovered at the airport in the USA.
15 hours after the plane took off, the young woman was in custody: she was arrested at Sydney Airport after officers discovered nothing less than a 24-carat gold-plated pistol in her luggage!
The accompanying photos published by the border police along with the announcement show, among other things, the airport scan of the American woman's luggage. The firearm can clearly be seen in the bag. A second photo shows the gold-plated weapon and its magazine lying on a table.
Australia has some of the strictest gun ownership laws in the world. In the statement, ABF commander Justin Bathurst wrote that Border Force officers, working with "sophisticated detection technology", had helped prevent the dangerous item from being brought in.
"We have seen time and time again how well ABF officers can detect and stop illegal and highly dangerous goods at the Australian border," Commander Bathurst praised. "The ABF is Australia's first and most important line of defense."
28-year-old woman faces up to 10 years in prison!
According to the authorities, the young vacationer was charged and appeared before a local court last Monday (local time).
There she was initially released on bail of 10,000 dollars, as reported by Sky News Australia.
However, she was also ordered to surrender her passport and not apply for a new one until the case is resolved.
Depending on the outcome of the court case, the 28-year-old could face the cancellation of her visa and deportation from Australia.
But that's not all: in the worst-case scenario, the woman could even face up to 10 years in prison!
It is not known whether the US-American wanted to smuggle the weapon or was unaware of the Australian regulations.