SYDNEY - A Sydney man has been arrested over an alleged attempt to import 22 kg of cocaine from South Africa hidden inside suitcases.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Border Force (ABF) said in a statement on Friday that the 25-year-old man from southwest Sydney was stopped for a baggage examination after he disembarked a flight that arrived at Sydney Airport from Johannesburg via Doha.

During the examination, ABF officers located 22 packages wrapped in plastic hidden inside the suitcases. The packages contained a white powder that subsequent testing identified as cocaine with a total volume of 22 kg.

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The matter was handed to the AFP, who seized the cocaine and arrested the 25-year-old.

He was charged with one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.