Books reveal hidden surprise

By Vijay Kumar

The Australian Customs in a press release today said that Customs officers stopped an estimated one kilogram of the precursor chemical, pseudoephedrine, being smuggled through air freight at Cairns International Airport.

The stash was found inside the covers of eight books. When Customs air cargo officers x-rayed the parcel's contents anomalies were identified. During further examination a white substance was found concealed within the books' covers. Further tests returned a positive reading for pseudoephedrine.

Pseudoephedrine is a prohibited precursor chemical which can be converted in clandestine laboratories from its legitimate use to produce illegal amphetamine-type substances, such as methamphetamine.