A 27-year-old Malaysian man was detained in Melbourne airport last week after allegedly bringing over 900 images and video of child pornography into the country.
He was formally charged with importing child exploitation materials last Friday, and will now be held in remand until June 29.
Arriving on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne International Airport, Australian Border Force (ABF) officers then searched the man’s belongings, allegedly finding the images on the man’s computer and mobile phone.
An ABF press release quoted Commander Investigations Mark Antill, who said that protecting the community was their highest priority.
“Children are harmed by those who manufacture this abhorrent material, and people who consume child exploitation material provide the market that fuels this vile trade,” Commander Antill said.
“Through the use of intelligence and targeting techniques our trained officers actively look for people bringing child exploitation material into Australia.”
It is unclear if the ABF had a tip-off regarding the passenger, or if it was a random search.
The charge carries a penalty of AUS$180,000 (RM545,000/US$140,000), and/or 10 years imprisonment.
