New Zealand Customs has welcomed the sentencing of a 27-year-old man in Auckland’s High Court to 14 years and seven months’ imprisonment for his role in trying to smuggle more than 109kgs of methamphetamine into New Zealand.
A statement said the seizure prevented up to $135 million dollars of potential social harm to our communities.
The man had travelled to Auckland from Sydney in June 2019, his first visit to New Zealand.
Although his arrival card stated he was visiting for a short time, a Customs investigation established that he was linked to an Australian organised criminal syndicate and tasked with hiring a storage unit, and then transporting, extracting and distributing the drugs.
In July 2019, Customs investigators carried out multiple search warrants in Auckland, with the assistance of
The search found more than 100 black and green plastic storage pallets, with compressed methamphetamine visible in hidden compartments.
$50,000 in cash was also found hidden inside a dishwasher and inside a backpack.
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