An Irish man has been charged in Australia after trying to import cocaine by hiding six Kinder Surprise eggs inside his body.
According to local reports, the 28-year-old was stopped by Border control officers at Melbourne Airport on December 28 after arriving from the Middle East.
After being questioned by officers, he was taken to a nearby hospital for a CT scan.
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This showed he was hiding six yellow plastic capsules inside his body that contained around 120 grams of cocaine, according to a joint statement by Australian Federal Police and border force on Wednesday.
He was charged with one count of importing a “marketable quantity of a border-controlled substance”, namely cocaine.
He appeared at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on December 30 and was remanded in custody to await his court date in March as he faces up to 25 years in jail.
Speaking about the arrest, Australian Federal Police Detective Acting Superintendent, Chris Salmon, said this case shows the extremes people are willing to go to evade detection.
"Smuggling drugs internally is idiotic," he said.
"There is the real risk that something could go wrong, resulting in a potentially fatal drug overdose or permanent damage to internal organs."
Australian Border force warned others against attempting the same offence, saying: "It is not worth risking your health by attempting to internally transport drugs into our country as ABF officers are highly trained in detection and will ensure that you are stopped at the border."
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