Nigerian man has faced a Cairns court accused of trying to smuggle heroin into Australia by concealing the drug internally. The Cairns Magistrates Court heard the 39 year old man passed a total of 54 pellets containing 945 grams of a white powder believed to be heroin after being taken to Cairns Base Hospital by the Australian Federal Police on March 20. An x-ray had allegedly earlier revealed he was concealing more than 50 packages internally. The pellets are currently the subject of forensic testing to determine the exact weight and purity of the drugs. The man was stopped by Customs officers after arriving on a flight from Narita in Japan last Thursday, prosecutors said. He was referred to the AFP after officials became suspicious he was concealing drugs internally.Benjamin Ogbonnaya Ikeh, 39, appeared briefly in Cairns Magistrates' Court yesterday, charged with importing a marketable quantity of heroin.If convicted, the offence carries a maximum penalty of 25 years jail or a $550,000 fine.Wearing a black jumper, Mr Ikeh sat in silence in the dock yesterday. He did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody. The court did not hear details of the police allegations. However, a joint statement released by the Australian Federal Police and Customs Service indicated that the man was apprehended at Cairns airport on Thursday after arriving on a flight from Narita, Japan.
Customs officers became suspicious that he could be concealing drugs internally and he was taken to Cairns Base Hospital where an X-ray allegedly indicated more than 50 packages.Police will allege the man passed a total of 54 pellets containing about 945g of white powder, believed to be heroin.
In court yesterday, duty solicitor Kate Power said Mr Ikeh had consented to the internal body search.She said Mr Ikeh was a Nigerian national but had been living in Tokyo, Japan. This was his first visit to Australia and he had planned to stay for one week.Magistrate Trevor Black adjourned the case until May 12 to allow investigators to complete forensic testing and determine the exact weight, quantity and nature of the drugs.The arrest is the latest in a series of recent drug busts by Customs officers.
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