A 54-year-old man has been convicted in Adelaide Magistrates court after importing a border controlled precursor and providing false information to an Australian Border Force (ABF) officer.
Officer intuition identified the man, who works in the aviation industry, for a baggage examination at Adelaide International Airport on 5 July 2023.
The ABF officer confirmed the man had nothing to declare on arrival, as stated on his Incoming Passenger Card (IPC).
While completing the baggage exam, ABF officers located a small amount of performance enhancing drugs and a bottle labelled ‘Listerine’, which when tested returned a positive result for Gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), commonly known as fantasy or liquid ecstasy.
ABF Inspector Steve Garden said GBL is particularly dangerous as many believe it is a ‘party drug’ but it causes loss of consciousness, and breathing difficulties, and can be fatal even in small doses.
In the course of the investigation, messages on the man’s phone were found arranging to purchase GBL. The attempted import totalled 97.7 grams.
During the sentencing, the Magistrate remarked that but for the guilty plea, the attempted import would have attracted six months’ imprisonment and lying on the IPC two months’ imprisonment.
With consideration for the plea of guilty, the man was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment, which was reduced to time served (56 days), $500 and 12 months’ good behaviour.
“This is a timely reminder to everyone travelling over the holidays,” Inspector Garden said.
“Carefully consider everything you are bringing into Australia and how you are declaring it on your incoming passenger card.
“All passengers arriving in Australia are required by law to identify themselves and provide certain information.
“Those who seek to be misleading or untruthful risk significant penalties and even jail time. Don’t let your travel end in tragedy.”
