British actress Emaa Hussen, 34, was charged on Thursday in Sydney court for attempting to import a commercial quantity of methamphetamine into Australia from West Africa. Police allege the smuggled drugs were hidden in bags of charcoal in two shipping containers arriving from Ghana and were valued at about A$296 million.
Hussen, who played Naz in the Eastenders spin‑off E20 and appeared in the Jason Statham action film *Hummingbird*, was denied bail and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. She must return to court in August for further proceedings.
Australian border officers detected anomalies in the containers and, after X‑rays revealed a white crystalline substance, confirmed the presence of meth. The drugs were removed before being stowed in a storage facility in Girraween, Sydney.
Police say Hussen watched the unloading of the containers, then supervised men who loaded the meth into a car that was taken to a house in Blacktown, where she was arrested. Officers seized electronic devices and a notebook from the scene.
Investigators also charged a 30‑year‑old woman and a 32‑year‑old man in Adelaide for using false identities to rent the storage units where the drugs were stored.
Detective Acting Superintendent Trevor Robinson of the Australian Federal Police said the seizure of the meth, worth almost A$296 million, stopped a potential 3.2 million deals from reaching Australian streets.
