UK Actress Faces Life In Prison After Allegedly Smuggling Nearly $300 Million Worth Of Meth Into Australia

A British actress who appeared in an EastEnders spin-off and a Jason Statham film has been charged after Australian authorities alleged she was involved in an attempt to smuggle a huge quantity of methamphetamine into the country.

Emaa Hussen, 34, appeared in a Sydney court on Thursday after being charged with attempting to import a commercial quantity of methamphetamine into Australia. The alleged shipment involved 320kg of meth hidden inside bags of charcoal that arrived in shipping containers from Ghana.

Authorities said the drugs had an estimated street value of A$296 million, which is around £157 million. Hussen has been refused bail and is due to return to court in August. The charge carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

The case has attracted attention because of Hussen's acting background, having played Naz in the EastEnders spin-off E20 and also appearing in Jason Statham's 2013 action thriller Hummingbird, which was released in the United States under the title Redemption.

How Were The Drugs Hidden

According to reports, the investigation began in April after border authorities identified anomalies in two shipping containers that had arrived at Sydney's Port Botany from Ghana. The containers were declared as carrying bags of charcoal.

Authorities conducted X-ray examinations of the shipments and discovered what they described as a 'white crystalised substance' inside the containers. Further testing later confirmed the substance was methamphetamine.

Police said they removed the drugs from the shipment before allowing it to continue to a storage facility in Girraween, located in Sydney's western suburbs.

Investigators allege that Hussen later attended the facility and supervised while several men unpacked the container. Police claim that a number of bags were then loaded into a vehicle and transported to a property in Blacktown.

Hussen was subsequently arrested at the Blacktown address. During the operation, police also seized electronic devices and a notebook as part of their investigation.

Authorities have alleged that the attempted importation formed part of a wider operation involving multiple individuals. The charge against Hussen relates to the alleged attempt to bring a commercial quantity of methamphetamine into Australia, an offence that carries the most severe penalties under Australian law.

Preventing Drugs From Getting Into Streets

The investigation also led to arrests outside New South Wales. Police arrested and charged a 30-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia.

Authorities allege the pair used false identities to rent the storage units in Sydney where the drug shipment was delivered. The two individuals were charged as part of the same investigation into the alleged importation scheme.

Australian Federal Police highlighted the scale of the seizure when discussing the operation. Det Acting Supt Trevor Robinson said the amount of methamphetamine intercepted by authorities could have had a major impact if it had entered the community.

'The seizure of these drugs, with an estimated street value of $296 million (£157 million), has prevented a potential 3.2 million deals from reaching Australian streets,' Robinson said.

Australian Border Force Supt Jared Leighton also praised the officers involved in detecting the shipment and pointed to the methods used by criminal groups to conceal illegal drugs.

'Criminal syndicates will go to great lengths to disguise illicit drugs, including embedding them in everyday goods like charcoal, but our highly skilled officers are trained to see beyond these attempts,' he said.

Hussen remains in custody after being denied bail in an earlier court ruling. She is scheduled to appear in court again in August as proceedings continue. The allegations against her and the other accused individuals are yet to be tested in court.