Meth smuggler told judge he thought $1m haul hidden in stock pot was gold

A man who smuggled more than $1 million worth of methamphetamine into New Zealand hidden inside a stock pot has been sentenced to seven years and eight months in prison, despite claiming he believed he was transporting gold.

According to a report by the New Zealand Herald, Mohd Bin Abdullah was sentenced in Manukau District Court after Customs officers discovered 3.58kg of methamphetamine concealed inside a tampered stock pot in his suitcase.

During the sentencing, Abdullah shouted in Malay that he had believed the substance was gold.

“What I know is it’s gold, it is not a drug,” he yelled, according to an interpreter, as quoted by New Zealand Herald.

Judge Ngaroma Tahana rejected his explanation as “porkies” and proceeded with the sentencing.

Meth worth more than $1 million

According to the agreed facts, Abdullah arrived at Auckland International Airport on September 27 and was referred to Customs for questioning and examination.

Officers searched his luggage and found a heavy stock pot that had been altered to conceal the drugs. When dismantled, it was found to contain 3.58kg of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $1.074 million, the New Zealand Herald has reported.

A search of Abdullah’s phone also uncovered WhatsApp conversations in Malay which indicated he knew he was involved in transporting drugs between different countries.

The messages included conversations with a contact named “Zareeeena” about delivering items, including the stock pot, to different destinations, as quoted by the New Zealand Herald.

In one audio message sent in June, “Zareeeena” said: “If the bag yesterday had powder, I would have died ... because they opened every single zip and checking, checking,” the New Zealand Herald has quoted.

Abdullah responded: “Of course I am scared if they select half a kilo and sew it in the bag, I’d be dead.”

On September 18, Abdullah told the contact, “the pan is in the bag”.

The following day, “Zareeeena” said: “I’m waiting for the Westerner to pick up the pan,” as quoted by the New Zealand Herald.

“Wow, you’re so busy too,” Abdullah reportedly replied, later telling the contact to “make sure the promised salary is paid,” the New Zealand Herald has quoted.

The court also heard a travel company had arranged Abdullah’s visa, flights and hotel for his New Zealand trip. He was required to send photographs confirming he had boarded his flights.

Judge rejects 'gold' explanation

Crown lawyer Pia Puertollano said Abdullah remained “adamant” that he was bringing gold into New Zealand and had not known the stock pot contained drugs.

“That’s just ... porkies,” Judge Tahana commented.

Abdullah’s lawyer, Baden Meyer, argued that his client understood he was doing something illegal but did not have the level of knowledge or involvement alleged by the Crown, as reported by the New Zealand Herald.

Meyer disputed the Crown's description of Abdullah as a “senior courier”.

“[But] you’ve gone to the extreme ... I don’t know if I accept your characterisation of the offender as a ‘naive courier’,” Judge Tahana countered, the New Zealand Herald has quoted.

After reviewing the messages, the judge said Abdullah's offending appeared to go beyond simply “knowing”.

“But equally I don’t think he was the most sophisticated and significant mule that we’ve seen,” the New Zealand Herald has quoted.

Meyer accepted that the offending was more than a “single naive run” but argued the purity of the methamphetamine was below the national average.

Judge Tahana agreed the sentence should be adjusted to account for the drug's purity.

While she was delivering her decision, Abdullah interrupted again to insist he had been transporting gold.

“In the text, there is nothing where we talk about the drug,” the interpreter translated.

“I’m going to give my decision, and I need you to hold back from providing your comments, okay?” the judge responded, as quoted by the New Zealand Herald.

The judge considered the quantity and quality of the methamphetamine, Abdullah's role in the operation and his early guilty plea when determining the sentence.

She also took into account the additional difficulties he would face serving a prison sentence in a foreign country.

“You will be separated from family and friends and will have limited support while in prison. There will also be language and cultural challenges,” as quoted by the New Zealand Herald.

Judge Tahana granted an additional discount for those circumstances but declined to reduce the sentence further because Abdullah's wife has cancer.

Abdullah was ultimately sentenced to seven years and eight months' imprisonment for importing a Class A drug, as reported by the New Zealand Herald.