Two Japanese men have been jailed for trying to smuggle methamphetamine through Melbourne Airport in October 2018.

They were chosen for a bag examination on arrival from Bangkok. ABF officers noticed inconsistencies in their luggage through X-ray images and drilled holes into their cases.

A white substance was found in the lining and tested. It returned a positive result for methamphetamine. More than 4kg of the drug was seized, which equates to about 40,000 street deals.

The 23-year-olds were charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug.

They each received a maximum sentence of six years in jail at the Melbourne County Court with a non-parole period of three years.