American rolling in drugs busted in Sydney

An American man thought he would be rolling in dough until Australian police caught him importing 17kg of cocaine in baking equipment.

The 29-year-old US national will face court on Thursday after being charged for attempting to import drugs, with an estimated street value of more than $5 million, hidden in steel dough-rolling pins.

Police arrested the man on Wednesday after he allegedly opened the consignment outside his Tamarama home in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

The would-be high-roller came to the attention of authorities as he arrived at Sydney Airport on August 31.

Customs and border protection officers then intercepted a package from Hong Kong linked to the man on October 12.

After an x-ray examination of the consignment, containing stainless steel dough rollers, suspicions were raised.

Australian Federal Police forensics discovered about 17.5kg of cocaine, and replaced it with a fake substance.

The man is to face Waverley Local Court on Thursday on a number of charges for importing a commercial quantity of cocaine.