A 32 year-old Indian national has been arrested and charged after Australian Border Force (ABF) officers at Perth Airport allegedly found him in possession of numerous videos containing child exploitation material, child abuse and other abhorrent material.
ABF officers stopped the man for a baggage examination after he arrived on a flight from Kuala Lumpur on Saturday 26 January, 2019.
During the examination of two mobile phones belonging to the man ABF officers allegedly found five videos containing child exploitation material, two videos containing child abuse and two videos containing other abhorrent material – all banned as ‘Objectionable Material’ under Australian law.
Officers seized the phones and cancelled the man’s visitor’s visa.
ABF Investigators arrested the man and charged him with the following offences:
◦1 x charge under section 233BAB(5) of the Customs Act 1901 – Import Tier 2 goods being child pornography and child abuse material
◦1 x charge under section s233(1)(b) of the Customs Act 1901 – Import prohibited import (Objectionable goods)
He appeared in the Perth Magistrate’s Court on Sunday 27 January 2019 and was remanded in custody to re-appear in the same court today.
ABF Regional Commander for Western Australia, Rod O’Donnell, said the ABF was concerned about the increasing number of people found to be in possession of objectionable material at the border.
“Visitors need to be aware that possession of objectionable material is viewed very seriously under Australian law. For instance the maximum penalty for the importation of child exploitation material is 10 years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $525,000, Commander O’Donnell said.
“Tackling child exploitation is an operational priority for the ABF and our officers are highly skilled at identifying people at our airports who are attempting to carry this abhorrent material across the border.”
