A man has been charged after $10 million worth of class B drug ephedrine was found stuffed inside thousands of plastic toys.
The 25-year-old was arrested after police and Customs targeted ephedrine supply in Auckland.
Customs discovered a shipment of the drugs hidden in pallets of plastic toys in a shipping container that had been sent from China.
Each plastic toy stuffed with the drug had the potential to produce more than 60kg of methamphetamine, amounting to a street value of as much as $60 million.
Detective Inspector Bruce Good says the large quantity of the drug had the potential to cause serious social harm.
"Unfortunately though, the demand for ephedrine will remain high and we will continue to target the organised criminal groups supplying and selling ephedrine," he says.
Customs manager Jamie Bamford says they are aiming to break the illegal supply chain, and have several systems in place to stop shipments before they arrive.
"We'll continue to work closely with police and other agencies to catch the criminals involved."
The 25-year-old has been charged with importing a class B controlled drug, and will appear in the Auckland District Court today.
Police urge anyone with information on drug dealing in their community to contact them, or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
3 News
