6 August 2013
Singapore traveller arrested for $50k methamphetamine
A 38 year-old Singaporean man has appeared in the Manukau District Court today, charged with importing methamphetamine with an estimated street value of up to $50,000.

He was arrested by Customs officers at Auckland International Airport last night after being found in possession of 55g of methamphetamine.

The man arrived on a flight from Sydney and was questioned by Customs officers, and his luggage searched, revealing a small package wrapped in black insulation tape at the bottom of his bag.

While he claimed it contained salt, drug testing analysis identified the substance as methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of $30,000 to $50,000.

Customs arrested and charged the traveller with importation of a Class A controlled drug. The maximum penalty is life imprisonment.

Customs Manager Investigations, Mark Day, says this is a good result for Customs as it has stopped harmful drugs from getting to the streets.

“Such offenders think they can get away trying to bring drugs into New Zealand, but Customs officers are well-trained and experienced – they know what to look out for.

“This man showed signs to give Customs reason to suspect he was not coming to New Zealand for a legitimate purpose,” Mr Day said.

Customs focuses its efforts to break the methamphetamine and precursors supply chain at the border.

Activities include gathering intelligence, identifying risks, detecting and intercepting drugs, and conducting investigations, arrests and prosecutions.

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