A 33-year-old woman has been charged with drug smuggling in New Zealand after authorities discovered more than 18kg of methamphetamine in her luggage upon her arrival at Auckland Airport.
The New Zealand national was arrested on Sunday, January 4, after landing on a flight from Singapore. Customs officers conducted a search of her baggage and uncovered 18 vacuum-sealed packages containing a white crystalline substance. Subsequent testing confirmed the substance to be methamphetamine, according to the New Zealand Customs Service.
Authorities estimated that the seized drugs could be converted into as many as 922,500 individual doses, with a potential street value of about NZ$5.53 million (US$3.2 million).
The Customs Service said the seizure represented a significant interception of illicit drugs at the border.
Local media in New Zealand reported that the woman arrived on a Singapore Airlines flight. In response to queries, Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) clarified that while the flight transited through Singapore, the woman's journey did not originate there.
"As the matter is being investigated by the New Zealand authorities, it is inappropriate for CNB to comment further," a CNB spokesperson told CNA.
Methamphetamine is classified as a Class A controlled drug in New Zealand. Individuals convicted of importing or smuggling such substances face severe penalties, including the possibility of life imprisonment.
