Four people have been arrested and charged after allegedly trying to carry Class A drugs through Auckland Airport.
In two unrelated incidents, the four passengers allegedly attempted smuggling a combined 22 kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine in their suitcases.
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The combined street value of the drugs is an estimated $9.6 million.
The suspects appeared at Manukau District Court on Monday, each on a charge of importation and supplying a Class A drug. The charge carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Two New Zealand nationals - a 20-year-old Auckland woman and a 30-year-old Hamilton man - arrived from Argentina on Sunday, May 5.
Around 7kg of cocaine paste was found in the bases of their two suitcases, with an estimated street value of $2.1 million.
In a second, separate seizure, two Canadian women, a 21-year-old and a 26-year-old, arrived from Hong Kong later on Sunday with almost 15 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine. The estimated street value of this amount in New Zealand is up to $7.5 million.
A baggage search discovered the total amount of meth was split across four suitcases.
The combined value of social harm to the country from the drugs haul was reported to be around $27.1 million.
Newshub.
