Australian detectives find Putin photos on drugs stashed in car

Australian organized crime detectives charged a man they said was trying to smuggle $18 million Australian ($11.6 million US) worth of methamphetamine and cocaine, some of which featured a picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin, discovered in the door cavities of his car.

Officers stopped the man on Tuesday morning as he was driving south from Sydney, alleging he was on his way to Melbourne, some 700 kilometres south, NSW Police said in a statement published on Wednesday.

Some of the packages the illegal drugs were found in carried photographs of the Russian president. It was unclear why this was.

During the vehicle’s search, officers found 25 kilograms of methamphetamine and 10 kilograms of cocaine. The 26-year-old driver was arrested and charged with two counts of drug-related offences. The defendant was refused bail and additional investigations are underway.