Customs officers at Auckland International Airport have seized more than 52kg of methamphetamine and cocaine in two separate smuggling attempts over the weekend.
In the first incident, approximately 50kg of methamphetamine was found in two unaccompanied bags on a flight from San Francisco, USA, Customs New Zealand said today.
The bags were found by Customs officers carrying out routine checks.
In the second incident, 2kg of cocaine was found concealed in the lining of a passenger’s suitcases.
The traveller, a 24-year-old foreign national who had arrived on a flight from Santiago, Chile, was charged with importation and possession for supply of a Class A controlled drug.
The drugs seized over the weekend had a combined street value of up to $19.7 million and around $54 million in potential harm and cost to New Zealand, Customs said.
Déjà vu
It’s the second such incident involving the discovery of controlled drugs in unaccompanied bags arriving from the US, followed by the lining of a suitcase, in less than a week.
On April 8, Customs officers at the airport seized more than 25kg of illicit drugs in two separate incidents on the same night.
In the first incident, more than 23kg of methamphetamine and cocaine was found in unaccompanied bags by officers conducting routine checks from a flight into Auckland from Honolulu.
In the second case, 1.9kg of methamphetamine was found concealed in the inner lining of a checked-in suitcase belonging to a foreign national arriving from Sydney.
A 57-year-old man was charged with the importation and possession for supply of a class A controlled drug.
This week’s discoveries took the total drugs seized at the airport in less a week to approximately 78kg.
“This demonstrates the need for constant vigilance, information-sharing, and networking across the aviation sector,” acting Customs Auckland Airport manager Ben Wells said.
“It’s a combined effort to keep illicit drugs out of New Zealand communities and stop criminals from cultivating user demand.”
Anyone who spotted suspicious behaviour was advised to speak with a Customs officer at the airport or call 0800 WE PROTECT (0800 937 768) in confidence, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.