Ephedrine seized in air cargo at Sydney

Customs officers have seized more than six kilograms of the precursor drug ephedrine hidden inside bicycle seats sent in air cargo from China.

Australian Customs and Border Protection Service officers detected the drug last Friday when a consignment was x-rayed.

Around 6.3kg of a white crystalline substance was found in 18 bicycle seats and the substance returned positive results for ephedrine.

"Ephedrine is used to manufacture dangerous and illegal amphetamine-type substances such as 'ice'," national manager cargo operations, Jagtej Singh, said in a statement on Wednesday.

He said those caught attempting to smuggle a marketable amount of a border-controlled precursor, such as ephedrine, could face penalties of up to $510,000 or 15 years in prison.