Biggest seizure of ‘ya ba’ after Bangkok flight to Auckland
TWO Czech nationals were arrested at Auckland airport for attempting to smuggle 20 kilograms of methamphetamine into the country, the New Zealand Customs Service said yesterday.
The drugs were discovered hidden in a concealed area at the bottom of their two suitcases, the Customs Service said. It represented an estimated street value of 20 million New Zealand dollars (Bt482 million), making it the largest-ever meth seizure at an |airport in that country.
The two suspects arrived on a flight from Bangkok on Thursday afternoon and had been identified and questioned by customs officers at the airport, said Jamie Bamford, manager of intelligence, investigations and enforcement at the Customs Service.
They were to be charged with importing a class-A controlled drug, an offence that carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
“Yesterday’s seizure has prevented a significant amount of social harm to our communities,” Bamford said.
