NZ’s Largest Ever Seizure Of Ecstasy Tablets

A joint Police/Customs operation has resulted in New Zealand’s largest ever seizure of ecstasy tablets, after 36,000 tablets were discovered concealed in a packing case.

The operation commenced after the Police provided Customs with information about some suspicious importations of goods from South Africa following a Police investigation into an unconnected matter in November last year.

Subsequent investigations culminated in the identification of a shipment of camping equipment packed in a large wooden case, which arrived in New Zealand from South Africa on Sunday May 5.

Officers examined the shipment and located 36,000 Ecstasy tablets, concealed in a cavity in the floor of the wooden case.

Delivery of the shipment from the import freight depot in the normal manner was permitted, and surveillance of the case was maintained throughout. The operation was eventually terminated yesterday (Sunday May 12) after an attempt was made to access the case at business premises on Auckland’s North Shore.

Two men – a 35 year old Briton and an 46 year old South African - have been arrested and face charges relating to the importation of a class B controlled drug.

Enquiries into the importation are on going.

Ecstasy is the street name most commonly used for the class B controlled drug 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA).

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