Three Auckland men have been charged after allegedly attempting to import methamphetamine concealed in pails of grease.
It comes after a container searched by Customs at the Port of Tauranga on May 10, 2022, was found to contain methamphetamine originating out of Iran, Detective Senior Sergeant Reece Sirl said in a statement.
While the total weight of the drug is unknown at this stage, it is “expected to be a commercial quantity based on the concealment method”, Sirl said.
Three Auckland men aged between 21 and 42 were arrested on Thursday as part of Operation Lithium, a joint police and New Zealand Customs investigation into the importation of methamphetamine into the country.
The trio are due to appear in the Auckland District Court on Friday charged with importing methamphetamine. The 21-year-old has also been charged with threatening to kill.
“This seizure at the border is another demonstration of the police and Customs working together to disrupt and dismantle organised crime networks and to make New Zealand more resilient to transnational organised crime,” Sirl said.
READ MORE: Meth laced MDMA tablet found in NZ for first time
“Criminal gangs think they are untouchable, but this operation proves them wrong,” Customs investigations manager Cam Moore said.
“We have stopped their drugs from reaching the New Zealand market, where it could have had a significant economic and human toll.
“Customs, police and our overseas partners have the intelligence, capability and tools to dismantle these criminal networks – and every determination to continue doing so.”
Sirl said the investigation is ongoing, and are unable to rule out further arrests.
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