Swiss man arrested in Melbourne faces life imprisonment
Keystone-SDA
A 21-year-old Swiss man faces life imprisonment after being arrested by Australian border guards for allegedly trying to smuggle 25 kilograms of cocaine into the country.
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The suspect appeared before a local court in Melbourne for the first time on Saturday. However, he will have to appear in court several more times before a verdict is reached. The next time will be on March 31, as the Australian Federal Police (AFP) informed the Keystone-SDA news agency on Saturday.
According to the authority, the Swiss man faces a life sentence if convicted in the most severe case.
The AFP has charged the Swiss national with importing and possessing a commercial quantity of cocaine. The amount of cocaine seized was enough for 125,000 deals on the street and had an estimated value of around CHF4.5 million.
The drugs were seized during a baggage check at Melbourne Airport, according to the AFP. The suspect was traveling from Los Angeles to Australia.
His suitcase contained packets of a white substance hidden in 20 black plastic bags. Initial tests on the substance showed a positive result for cocaine. This was first reported by 20 Minuten.
Translated from German by DeepL/mga
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