A 33-year-old woman faces drug smuggling charges in New Zealand after more than 18kg of methamphetamine was found in her luggage at Auckland Airport.
The New Zealand national was arrested on Sunday (Jan 4) after she arrived on a flight from Singapore.
During a search of her baggage, Customs officers found 18 vacuum-sealed packages containing a white crystalline substance.
“Testing confirmed that the substance was methamphetamine,” said the New Zealand Customs Service.
It added that the meth seized is estimated to produce up to 922,500 doses, with a potential street value of NZ$5.53 million (US$3.2 million).
New Zealand media reported that the woman landed in Auckland on a Singapore Airlines flight.
Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said the flight transited in Singapore.
“The flight did not originate from Singapore,” an agency spokesperson said in response to CNA’s queries.
“As the matter is being investigated by the New Zealand authorities, it is inappropriate for CNB to comment further.”
Methamphetamine is a Class A controlled drug. In New Zealand, those convicted of smuggling such narcotics may be sentenced to life imprisonment.