Waihī man charged after $9million meth smuggling attempt uncovered by Customs
An attempt to smuggle drugs into New Zealand disguised as packs of macadamia nuts has been busted by New Zealand Customs.
Parcels containing methamphetamine and pseudoephedrine, one of the key ingredients in methamphetamine, were traced to Waihī, Whangārei, Lower Hutt and Auckland.
Between November 2024 and April of this year, Customs uncovered the attempted importation of 25 packages containing nearly 30kg of the drugs sent by mail and air freight.
The total quantity seized has an estimated street value of over $9 million and could have caused around $32m in potential harm to New Zealand.
Police arrested a 31-year-old man from Waihī, who appeared in the Tauranga District Court on drug smuggling charges after a parcel, declared as macadamia nut samples but containing over 2kg of methamphetamine, was intercepted by Customs.
International partners have seized packages in Australia, the United States, Pakistan and Thailand.
Customs investigations manager Dominic Adams said the operation came as a result of strong international partnership and targeting low-quantity high-frequency drug smuggling.
“The surge in global e-commerce has significantly increased the volume of goods crossing our borders,” Adams said.
“With that growth comes heightened risk, with criminal networks and individuals increasingly attempting to exploit our air freight and mail systems to move illicit substances.”
This follows police and Customs’ largest-ever haul of gamma butyrolactone, also known as fantasy or liquid ecstasy, last month in Wellington.
Nearly 2000 litres of GBL were seized at the border with a street value of $14m, according to police.
“This is believed to be the largest-ever seizure of drugs at New Zealand’s border,” Rachael Manning, the chief Customs officer for regional investigations, said.
Four men aged between 38 and 75 who were arrested as a result of the bust appeared in the Wellington District Court on a variety of charges, including importation of methamphetamine and GBL, possession for supply of GBL, methamphetamine and cocaine.