Canadian Woman Arrested for Alleged Meth Smuggling Disguised as Christmas Gifts
New Zealand Customs officials announced the arrest of a Canadian woman accused of attempting to smuggle a significant quantity of methamphetamine into the country, cleverly disguised as Christmas presents, CNN reports.
The woman arrived at Auckland Airport on Sunday on a flight from Vancouver, carrying 22 pounds of methamphetamine concealed within her carry-on luggage. The drugs have an estimated street value of up to $2.2 million.
New Zealand Customs publicized the arrest on Facebook, cheekily saying that the woman “just made Santa’s naughty list.” The woman’s name and age have not yet been released, but she is facing charges of importation and possession for supply of a Class A controlled drug.
Paul Williams, Auckland Airport’s customs manager, highlighted the incident as a typical tactic used by transnational organized crime groups attempting to exploit the increased travel volume during the holiday season. He emphasized that the busy airport environment does not diminish Customs’ vigilance in detecting drug smuggling attempts. Images released by Customs show the methamphetamine packaged as brightly wrapped Christmas gifts, complete with snowflake designs, contained within a red duffel bag.
Williams noted that criminal organizations often mistakenly underestimate the thoroughness of Customs inspections, believing smaller shipments will go unnoticed. He stressed the increasing risk of methamphetamine entering New Zealand from North America and the agency’s preparedness to combat this threat.
This incident follows a significant methamphetamine seizure last year, when New Zealand authorities discovered 713 kilograms of the drug hidden within containers of Canadian maple syrup – the largest such seizure in the country’s history. That operation, involving a collaborative effort between New Zealand, Australian, and Canadian law enforcement agencies, resulted in six arrests.
