Kiwi pensioner Eric Chang says he thought he’d flown to Thailand to pick up a Covid-19 award from the United Nations. Instead, it turned out to be two kilograms of heroin.

The 77-year-old was arrested in July by the Australian Federal Police when they found the drugs in his luggage as he transited to Auckland through Melbourne on his way home from Thailand.

He faces a charge of importing a marketable quantity of a border-controlled substance, which could see him serve up to 25 years behind bars.

Australian Border Force officers (ABF) allegedly found “white powder”, which later tested positive for heroin, hidden inside the lining of his suitcase.

Chang claims he is the victim of a scam.

According to court documents obtained by Stuff, the Aucklander says he believed he was flying to Thailand to pick up an honour from the United Nations for the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

About 18 months before his arrest, Chang was contacted through WhatsApp by a man who called himself George, the prosecution’s statement of facts says.

“He was told he needed to go to Bangkok to sign the certificate and pick up prizes for other people back home,” Chang’s lawyer told Stuff.

Instead, he was duped into taking drugs in his luggage.

While he was in Bangkok, a woman met Chang at his hotel and gave him a black carry-on bag with “carry gifts for officials he would be meeting in Australia”, the court documents say.

He told police that inside the bag he had only seen soap and clothing wrapped in plastic.

After taking the gifts to the “officials” in Melbourne, Chang would then receive US$23 million and the certificate.

Chang’s lawyer says his family claimed he had previously fallen for online scams, but this one had far more severe consequences.

Since his arrest, he has been held at a medium-security remand centre in Melbourne’s west, where alleged offenders wait until they face court.

Unless the charges are either thrown out or he is bailed, he is likely to remain behind bars through his 78th birthday next month.

While at the facility, a kidney condition he had prior to incarceration has worsened, and he faces the possibility of going on dialysis, his lawyer says.

“He’s terrified of the environment he’s in,” says his lawyer.

“Who would think an elderly man would end up in a place like this.”

But the AFP has hailed the catch as a win in keeping drugs off the streets.

“Drug traffickers prey on our community, causing drug-related crime and the associated health and social costs,” says acting Detective Superintendent Amanda Glover.

“Every detection of drugs at the border keeps our community safer and ensure that drug traffickers cannot reap profits by preying on Australians.”

Australian Border Force superintendent Kelly-anne Parish echoed the sentiment, saying despite people trying to hide illicit drugs, “our officers have the technology and expertise to find them.”

“This is a good example of the real-time capabilities of our officers working at the border, 24 hours a day, to protect the Australian community from harmful drugs.

Troels Sommerville/Stuff