An American woman was arrested at Sydney Airport this week after border force officers found a 24-carat gold-plated handgun in her luggage, authorities said.
Investigators charged the woman, a 28-year-old U.S. citizen who had traveled to Sydney from Los Angeles, with violating an Australian customs law that prohibits items like weapons, radioactive substances and counterfeit credit cards.
She could be get up to 10 years in prison if convicted, the Australian Border Force said in a news release.
The woman, who authorities did not identify, was taken into custody after her arrival in Sydney on Sunday.
She appeared in court the following day and received bail, but she could still face visa cancellation and removal from Australia depending on how the ongoing legal proceedings turn out, according to the Australian Border Force.