Customs officers noted anomalies in the cushions of the prams when they were x-rayed after arriving in Sydney by air cargo from China last Monday.
After making incisions in the cushions, a crystal substance was found which returned a positive test for ephedrine, the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) said in a statement.
Ephedrine is used to manufacture amphetamine-type substances such as ice.
ACBPS National Manager Cargo Operations, Jagtej Singh, said the seizure was an important step in helping to decrease the domestic manufacture of prohibited drugs such as ice.
‘Customs and Border Protection officers are trained to target such prohibited chemicals and will continue to do so, no matter how creative the attempt to smuggle the goods in,’ he said in the statement.
Importing ephedrine without a permit is prohibited and people caught importing a marketable quantity of a border controlled precursor, such as ephedrine, could face a fine of up to $510,000 and/or 15 years in prison.
ACBPS said investigations into the pram case were ongoing and no one had been charged.
Source: Sky News Australia