Two baggage handlers have been charged following an alleged attempt to smuggle meth into the country through Auckland International Airport.
It comes after 4.6 kilograms of methamphetamine was located in a backpack that had arrived on an Air New Zealand flight from Los Angeles last Friday.
Customs alleged that two male baggage handlers, aged 23 and 19, are connected to the drugs, and have been charged with importing meth.
They are due to appear in the Manukau District Court next week.
It's not clear exactly what their involvement was, although customs said the arrests were a warning about the risks faced by border workers willing to abuse the access they have.
"We know this risk exists and we are always watching out for the signs," said Cam Moore, Customs investigations manager.
"We also need everyone else to watch out and help to protect Aotearoa New Zealand by noticing and reporting suspicious behaviour to customs confidentially - whether it’s something unusual at an airport, or in the freight and maritime environments."
The 4.6 kilograms of the drug recovered from the backpack could produce around 230,000 common doses of smoked meth, with a total street value of up to $870,000.
They are not the first baggage handlers at New Zealand’s biggest airport facing drug importation charges.
Six Air New Zealand baggage handlers were arrested in late 2021 for their part in importing meth, also from Los Angeles as part of a joint operation between police and customs.
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