Major Ecstasy Seizure By Customs

7th May 2002

Customs Officers at Auckland International Airport have seized over eight thousand tablets of Ecstasy from a person arriving in New Zealand.

The tablets were concealed about the body of a man arriving on a flight from Taipei.

A 31 year old Hong Kong Chinese man has been remanded in custody on charges of importing a Class B drug.

Customs Manager of Drug Investigations Phil Chitty says the man was intercepted on Friday on arrival at Auckland International Airport.

“We believe the drugs originated in Amsterdam.

“This is a significant seizure, and is the result of good work by Customs staff”, says Mr Chitty.

Customs biggest single seizure of ecstasy was over 25,000 tablets, concealed in a gearbox, in January last year.

Based on a street value for Ecstasy of $60 to $80 per tablet, the quantity seized could be worth as much as half a million dollars.

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

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