An Austrian woman has been charged after allegedly swallowing almost 1kg of cocaine held in 124 pellets before travelling to Australia.
The 27-year-old woman is the third person charged in Australia in two months for allegedly importing drugs concealed internally.
During the woman's long flight to Perth from Europe, she is alleged to have excreted and re-swallowed eight of the pellets, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Border Force (ABF) said in a joint statement.
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ABF officers selected the woman for a baggage examination when she arrived at Perth Airport on February 11.
"Certain indicators" led ABF officers to refer the case to the AFP, the statement said.
AFP officers escorted the woman to Royal Perth Hospital, where she was put under medical supervision and allegedly excreted 124 pellets over a period of two days.
She was discharged from hospital after scans confirmed there were no more pellets concealed internally.
The woman was charged with importing a marketable quantity of cocaine, which carries a maximum penalty of 25 years' jail time.
She faced Perth Magistrates Court on Tuesday and was remanded in custody to reappear on 10 March, 2023.
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In December, an Irish man was charged after he allegedly imported about 120 grams of cocaine into Melbourne, internally concealed inside six Kinder Surprise capsules.
A Portuguese man was caught a few days later when he flew into Sydney, allegedly importing about 1.6kg of cocaine that he was carrying internally.
AFP Commander Kate Ferry said the detection of three alleged internal imports in eight weeks was a concerning trend, due to the significant health risks faced by anyone ingesting packages of drugs.
"Anyone trying to move drugs across borders concealed inside their bodies is not only risking a substantial jail term but potentially a fatal drug overdose or permanent damage to their internal organs," she said.
"The AFP estimates the seizure of these three illicit imports has saved the community more than $1.75 million in drug-related harm, including associated crime, healthcare and loss of productivity.
"The photographs of the seized pellets of drugs after they've been excreted should also highlight to drug users the disgusting reality of how these illicit substances are transported across the world."
