A British actress has been charged with attempting to import drugs valued at almost $300 million into Australia. Emaa Hussen, along with an Adelaide couple, is accused of trying to bring 320kg of methamphetamine into the country, concealed in sacks of charcoal from West Africa.
Court Appearance and Arrest
The 34-year-old actress, who has appeared in a spin-off of the long-running British soap opera Eastenders and the Hollywood film Redemption alongside Jason Statham, faced court on Thursday. She was arrested by New South Wales Police during a drug bust in Sydney.
Investigation and Discovery
Police launched an investigation in April after border authorities detected anomalies in two shipping containers that arrived at Sydney's Port Botany from Ghana. Authorities found a white crystallised substance inside the containers, which were declared as bags of charcoal. Subsequent testing confirmed the substance was methamphetamine.
Officers removed the drugs, which had a street value of $296 million, from the shipment before it was delivered to a storage facility in Girraween, in Sydney's western suburbs.
Alleged Involvement
Police allege that Ms Hussen went to the facility and supervised as several men unpacked the container. They allegedly loaded several bags into a car before driving to a house in Blacktown, where police later arrested Ms Hussen. Electronic devices and a notebook were also seized.
As part of the investigation, police arrested and charged a 30-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man from Adelaide for allegedly using false identities to rent the storage units in Sydney where the drugs were delivered.
Police Statements
Detective Acting Superintendent Trevor Robinson from the Australian Federal Police said, "The seizure of these drugs - with an estimated street value of $296 million - has prevented a potential 3.2 million deals from reaching Australian streets."
Australian Border Force Superintendent Jared Leighton praised his officers for their efforts, stating, "Criminal syndicates will go to great lengths to disguise illicit drugs, including embedding them in everyday goods like charcoal, but our highly skilled officers are trained to see beyond these attempts."
Ms Hussen will remain in custody until her next court appearance in August.
