Malindo Air cabin crew smuggle drugs into Australia

MALINDO AIR B737-8GP 9M-LNW (CN 39875)       File Photo

Police have busted an international drug syndicate that they allege has been using airline cabin crew on board flights from Malaysia to smuggle drugs into Australia over a number of years.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Victoria Police have arrested eight people in the past 10 days who they allege brought heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine worth $21 million into Australia. Commander Tess Walsh from Victoria Police said the arrests occurred as part of Operation Sunrise, which involved the AFP, Australian Border Force and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission. The joint investigative team has alleged that the syndicate used cabin crews at Malindo Air, a small airline based in Malaysia, to bring the drugs into the country. Investigators allege the drugs were brought in via Melbourne and Sydney, carried on the bodies of the cabin crew. One defendant allegedly told investigators it was his 20th trip into Australia. Operation Sunrise is a complex, five-month operation targeting an alleged Vietnamese organised crime syndicate based in Melbourne," Commander Walsh said. Commander Walsh said police believed the syndicate had been operating for at least five years and that the drugs seized so far were clearly "not the total amount of drugs" alleged to have been imported. "This is a significant seizure but I think reality would say that it's not the total amount of drugs that this team have brought into this country," she said. "Intelligence would tell us that this crew has been operating for some years, I would say five plus … I don't know whether or not it's decades." “Airline staff are not above the law, that’s the message from Australian Border Force Commander Craig Palmer. They are subject to intervention at the border like everyone else and face significant penalties if they are found to be using their positions to attempt to circumvent our border controls.” Last June, a flight attendant from Malaysian Airlines was arrested at Melbourne airport for allegedly trying to smuggle 3.5kg of heroin worth A$1.4 million in his luggage. The 33-year-old Malaysian man faced drug smuggling charges.

Eight arrested across Melbourne

Those arrested by police include a 38-year-old woman arrested on January 7 in Tullamarine, and another six people arrested in raids at Sunshine North and inner-city Melbourne a day later.
On January 14, a woman from Richmond was also arrested.
Two of the defendants were Vietnamese-born Australians.
Six kilograms of heroin worth $14.5 million were seized, as well as 8kg of methamphetamine worth $6.4 million and half a kilo of cocaine.
A Porsche Macan, a Mini Cooper, $100,000 in cash and drug paraphernalia were also seized.
At least two of those arrested were cabin crew with Malindo Air.
Its website describes it as a "premium airline with headquarters in Petajaling Jaya", a town just outside of Kuala Lumpur.
Commander Walsh said the investigation is "active and ongoing".
Malindo Air has been contacted for comment.