Two people have been arrested after police seized more than $4 million worth of the illicit drug gamma-butyrolactone from a Wairarapa storage unit.
Police were alerted to suspicious behaviour by members of the public and located a storage container in Featherston containing about 820 litres of GBL earlier this week.
"The drugs have an estimated street value of $4.1 million and enough quantity for over 500,000 individual doses," police said.
Gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) – also known as Fantasy or liquid ecstasy – was a depressant that can cause nausea, grogginess, confusion and memory loss.
A 35-year-old woman from Tawa and a 39-year-old man from Porirua have been arrested and charged with possession of GBL for supply.
Inspector Paul Hamyln said officers responded to the storage facility just after 11pm on Monday, where they noticed a strong chemical smell coming from one of the containers.
"Police conducted an initial scene examination with the assistance of Fire and Emergency New Zealand,” Hamyln said.
"Clandestine lab specialists from Auckland and PHF Science then carried out further examinations, confirming the presence of GBL inside the container."
Hamyln said the seizure was expected to have a significant impact on the illicit drug market.
"The seizure of such a large quantity of GBL will result in a significant dent in the GBL market across the Wellington District, and most likely further afield, and prevent significant harm in our communities," he said.
The pair were remanded in custody and due to reappear in the Porirua District Court on January 13.
Fantasy was the drug involved in one of New Zealand's largest ever seizures, with an estimated 1950 litres of gamma butyrolactone uncovered by a joint police and Customs investigation in August last year.
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