A Canadian national will face court after allegedly smuggling 9.9kg of methamphetamine in his suitcase.
Chief Customs officer Ben Wells said a 27-year-old Canadian national arrived on a flight from Vancouver and was questioned by officers, who found 9.9kgs of methamphetamine concealed in several travel cube bags in his luggage.
Wells said customs officers screen 100% of all arriving passengers in to New Zealand, using data and technology to identify individuals who may pose a high risk.
He said the seizure would have been worth up to $3.5 million in street value.
“This seizure has prevented significant harm to our communities by stopping methamphetamine from hitting our streets,” he said.
“This is estimated to have prevented up to NZ$11 million worth of social harm and cost to New Zealand communities.”
The defendant is scheduled to appear in the Manukau District Court today, charged with importation and possession for supply of a Class A controlled drug, as well as failure to provide passcode to access information on electronic devices, according to Customs.
“This arrest and seizure is a great success for both Customs’ frontline officers as well as intelligence and targeting experts who work behind the scenes to identify potential drug couriers before they even get here.”