New Zealand Customs has foiled a multimillion-dollar drug smuggling attempt involving parcels falsely declared as macadamia nuts, reported The New Zealand Herald.
According to a report by The New Zealand Herald, between November 2024 and April this year, officers intercepted 25 packages sent by mail and air freight containing nearly 30kg of methamphetamine and pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient used in meth production. The drugs, with an estimated street value exceeding $9 million, could have caused more than $32 million in potential social harm.
A 31-year-old Waihī man was arrested after Customs intercepted a parcel declared as macadamia nut samples but concealing more than 2kg of methamphetamine. He has since appeared in the Tauranga District Court on drug smuggling charges.
Parcels linked to the case were also traced to Whangārei, Lower Hutt and Auckland, while international partners intercepted related shipments in Australia, the United States, Pakistan, and Thailand, The New Zealand Herald reported.
Customs investigations manager Dominic Adams said the case highlighted the risks associated with the global rise in e-commerce. “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,” Adams said, as quoted by The New Zealand Herald.
The bust follows last month’s record-breaking seizure of nearly 2000 litres of gamma butyrolactone (GBL), also known as liquid ecstasy, in Wellington. That haul, valued at $14m, is believed to be the largest-ever drug seizure at New Zealand’s border. Four men aged between 38 and 75 were arrested in connection with that case and charged with various drug-related offences.
According to The New Zealand Herald, customs said both operations underscore the importance of international cooperation and ongoing vigilance at the border to disrupt organised crime and prevent harmful substances from reaching New Zealand communities.
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