Key facts
- British actress Emaa Hussen charged with attempting to import over 300kg of methamphetamine into Australia.
- The drugs were allegedly smuggled from Ghana hidden in bags of charcoal.
- The estimated street value of the seized methamphetamine is AU$296 million (US$208 million).
- Hussen was arrested in Sydney after allegedly supervising the unpacking of the drugs from a storage unit.
- A couple from South Australia were also charged in connection with the alleged smuggling operation.
- Hussen has been refused bail and is due back in court in August.
A British actress, Emaa Hussen, 34, has been charged in Australia with attempting to import a commercial quantity of methamphetamine. Police allege Hussen, along with a couple from South Australia, tried to smuggle 320kg of meth, with an estimated street value of AU$296 million (US$208 million), from Ghana. The drugs were reportedly hidden within bags of charcoal in shipping containers. Hussen, known for her roles in an Eastenders spin-off and a Jason Statham film, appeared in a Sydney court on Thursday. She was refused bail and is scheduled to return to court in August. The maximum penalty for the charge is life imprisonment. Australian authorities launched an investigation in April after border officials detected irregularities in two shipping containers that arrived at Sydney's Port Botany from Ghana. Subsequent X-rays revealed a white crystalline substance, later confirmed as methamphetamine, concealed within bags of charcoal. The drugs were intercepted and removed before delivery to a storage facility in Girraween, Sydney. Authorities allege Hussen visited the storage facility and oversaw men unpacking the container, loading several bags into a car destined for a house in Blacktown. Police arrested Hussen at this location and seized electronic devices and a notebook. Concurrently, a 30-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man were arrested in Adelaide, South Australia, accused of using false identities to rent the storage units where the illicit cargo was delivered. Det Acting Supt Trevor Robinson of the Australian Federal Police stated that the seizure prevented approximately 3.2 million drug deals from reaching Australian streets. Supt Jared Leighton of the Australian Border Force commended the officers' vigilance in detecting the drugs disguised within everyday goods.