$10m worth of class B drugs found in toys

The drug was found in thousands of toys. Photo / Supplied

Thousands of plastic toys packed with nearly $10 million worth of an illegal drug has landed a 25-year-old man in court.

Police said the man was arrested in Auckland on Friday after class B drug ephedrine - a precursor used to manufacture methamphetamine - was found inside thousands of toys being shipped to New Zealand from China.

The 25-year-old will appear in Auckland District Court today, charged with importing a class B controlled drug.

His arrest followed a joint investigation by police organised financial crime investigators and customs, focusing on the supply of ephedrine in Auckland.

Customs officers found the drug concealed into pallets of plastic toys being shipped from China and the sheer volume of the drug had the potential to produce more than 60kg of meth - with a street value of $60 million.

Police Detective Inspector Bruce Good said it was a hefty amount of the drug.

"This is a huge amount that had the potential to cause serious social harm to our community," he said.

"Unfortunately though, the demand for ephedrine will remain high and we will continue to target the organised criminal groups supplying and selling ephedrine."

Customs spokesman Jamie Bamford said it was about breaking the illicit supply chain.

Customs has several systems in place to target shipments of illegal drugs before they arrive on New Zealand shores, he said.

"We'll continue to work closely with Police and other agencies to catch the criminals involved."

Police urge anyone with information on drug dealing in their community to contact them. Information can be given anonymously via the Crimestoppers organisation on 0800 555 111.