A 29-year-old foreign national has been jailed for five years and nine months for smuggling approximately 25.7 kilograms of MDMA or ecstasy through Auckland International Airport last year.
Arriving in New Zealand on 13 March 2024, he was subject to questioning and a baggage search where Customs officers located 25 black vacuum-sealed packages containing the illicit substance.
As a result, he was charged with importation and possession for supply of a Class B drug.
Customs Auckland Airport Manager Paul Williams said: “With every smuggler Customs catches and prosecutes, we are a sending a message that we will not tolerate unlawful behaviour.
In this instance alone, Customs officers prevented an estimated $5.3 million in social harm and cost to New Zealand.”
If you have suspicions about drug smuggling, call Customs confidentially on 0800 WE PROTECT (0800 937 768) or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
