AUSTRALIA — 1 July 2026, Australian authorities have tightened border security after charging a French woman with importing a controlled drug concealed inside a body wash bottle following her arrival from Thailand.
The case comes days after the Australian Federal Police (AFP) announced the arrest of a 26-year-old Thai Airways flight attendant who allegedly attempted to smuggle about one kilogram of heroin hidden in a cloth bag into Australia through Melbourne Airport on Thursday. It was later revealed that Australian authorities had made another drug-related arrest just days earlier, when a 31-year-old French woman travelling from Thailand was also taken into custody for allegedly smuggling a controlled substance.
According to an AFP statement published on its website on Friday, the French suspect was brought before the Perth Magistrates Court to face charges over the alleged importation of a border-controlled drug into Australia.
The statement said the French suspect, who currently resides in Manning, was arrested by officers from the Australian Border Force (ABF) after arriving at Perth Airport from Thailand on Monday. During a baggage inspection, ABF officers allegedly found a suspicious liquid inside a container labelled as body wash.
Testing identified the liquid as 50 grams of 1,4-butanediol (BDO). The substance is classified as a border-controlled drug under Australian law.
Furthermore, ABF officers examined the woman’s mobile phone and uncovered images suggesting she may also have concealed additional prohibited substances internally. She was subsequently referred to the AFP for further investigation. The woman later excreted 40 steroid tablets, which authorities seized for forensic examination.
Authorities have not publicly identified the specific type of steroid or announced any additional charges relating to the tablets.
She has been charged with one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, contrary to Section 307.2 of the Commonwealth Criminal Code. The offence carries a maximum penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment.
AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Peter Brindal said authorities remained vigilant against those attempting to smuggle illicit substances into Australia through the country’s airports.
ABF Superintendent John Eldridge stated that 1,4-butanediol is a highly dangerous chemical solvent. After entering the body, it is converted into gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), a powerful central nervous system depressant. Even a dose of just a few milligrams can be fatal. Due to its extreme danger, 1,4-butanediol has been subject to Australia’s border controls since 2024. Consequently, the chemical is treated as a serious drug trafficking offence, comparable to the unlawful importation of substances such as methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine.