Criminology and Psychology

Customs say they have disrupted a tobacco smuggling ring after they executed search and seizure warrants in Perth.Investigations began on December 19 when Customs officers at the Fremantle Container Examination Facility selected a container from the United Arab Emirates for inspection.When officers unpacked the container they detected 24kg of undeclared molasses-flavoured tobacco.The tobacco was found in six boxes labelled as tomato paste and randomly distributed throughout the cargo container. Each box contained eight 500g satchels of the tobacco.Customs investigators then carried out search and seizure warrants in Malaga, Marangaroo and Mirrabooka where they found another 16kg of flavoured tobacco.Customs National Manager of Investigations Richard Janeczko said he believed this was a "brazen attempt" to avoid paying more than $20,000 in legitimate Commonwealth revenue. "In addition to the evasion of duty, tobacco that has been illegally imported is unlikely to meet the...

22 year old man from Spain has appeared in the Perth Magistrate's court charged with smuggling more than two kilograms of heroin into Australia.Customs officers stopped the man for a baggage check at Perth International Airport last night. He had arrived on a flight from Dubai.An x-ray revealed a possible concealment in the bottom of his suitcase, and he was charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled substance.The man has been remanded in custody, to re-appear in court next week.

34-year-old Ellenbrook man appeared in Fremantle Magistrate's Court today charged with importing a banned steroid from Thailand.The man was charged by customs officials following an investigation into an alleged plot to import more than 15,000 tablets of the banned performance enhancing drug Dianabol.Customs were alerted to the alleged plot after several thousand tablets were allegedly found inside six tins, packaged as nuts at Perth International Airport mail centre in mid July.Early forensic tests had identified the tablets as Dianabol.The man was granted bail and is due to reappear in court on September 15.If found guilty he faces a possible five-year jail term or $110,000 fine. Customs investigations national manager Richard Janeczko said a permit from the Therapeutic Goods Administration was required to import Dianabol into Australia.“Last week we carried out nine search and seizure warrants at several residential properties and business premises across Perth,” he said."A...