5 November 2014

MEDIA RELEASE

Visitor jailed for smuggling drugs smorgasbord

A 39-year-old British man was today sentenced in the Manukau District Court to four years imprisonment after Customs caught him trying to smuggle a range of commercial quantities of controlled class A, B, and C drugs through Auckland Airport.

Andrew Wingate arrived at Auckland Airport on 10 May 2014, claiming he was here on a month-long holiday. A quick test on his backpack showed the presence of cocaine, and he admitted to being a drug user.

During a baggage search, Customs officers found 14 sheets of perforated paper hidden in the lining of his toiletry bag concealing a total of 6997 tabs. The tabs tested positive for the class C controlled drug “DOC” or “chloro-DMA”, an LSD mimic, with an estimated street value of between $87,462 and $349,850.

Wingate was also carrying an unopened bottle of red wine in his luggage that was sent for testing and found to contain the equivalent of 450 grams of the class B controlled drug “Ecstasy” (MDMA) and 7 grams of the class A controlled drug methamphetamine. These drugs have a street value of up to $37,000 and $8,400 respectively.

Customs Manager Investigations, Maurice O’Brien says the case shows people will try anything to get harmful drugs into the country – but they should not think they will get away with it.

“This is a great result for Customs and for our communities. These are very harmful drugs and we are pleased that they haven’t made it onto our streets,” says Mr O’Brien.

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