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An Australian man has allegedly been busted trying to import $1.3million worth of cocaine into the country from Mexico via the postal service. Mohamad Alameddine, 22, was arrested on Friday after police carried out raids at two properties in Auburn and Bass Hill, in Sydney's south-west. Police will allege Alameddine was involved in a scheme to import 4kg of cocaine in an air cargo consignment from Chihuahua to Sydney. The package was destined for Bass Hill and labelled as 'conveyor belt gear'. Police will allege Alameddine called the freight forwarder twice to ask about the status of the consignment. The delivery was detected in September by Australian Border Force authorities, who notified the Australian Federal Police. The AFP carried out the two search warrants on Friday, with officers seizing several items including four mobile phones and SIM cards. Footage shows Alameddine, dressed in a white shirt, black pants, socks and sandals, being escorted out of an Auburn home in handcuffs before officers placed him into the back of a vehicle. He has been charged with one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug and was remanded in custody to face Parramatta Local Court on Saturday. AFP Detective Acting Inspector Aaron Burgess said the seized cocaine had an estimated street value of $1.3million and had potential to be sold as 20,000 street-level deals. 'Drug trafficking, regardless of the quantity, results in significant harm to the health, safety, financial and physical security of the Australian community,' Det A/Insp Burgess said. 'We’re proud to have prevented potential drug profits going into the pockets of [alleged] criminals. 'The AFP remains relentless in pursuing those import harmful drugs into Australia and bringing them before the courts.' If found guilty, Alameddine faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
