Auckland man jailed for smuggling meth in hydraulic jacks

Auckland man Eleazar Tahuriorangi, 33, has been sentenced to 10 years' jail for attempting to smuggle 13.1kg of meth hidden in hydraulic jacks. Photo / Supplied

An Auckland man has been sentenced to 10 years in jail for attempting to smuggle more than 13kg of meth hidden in hydraulic jacks.

Eleazar Tahuriorangi, 33, was sentenced after Customs found "irregularities" around several imported items. The National Organised Crime Group (NOGC) uncovered his involvement in the smuggling attempt.

Customs found "a white substance" hidden inside a cylinder of a hydraulic jack, a device used for lifting cars.

A "white substance" was found by Customs inside an internal cylinder of a hydraulic jack. Photo / Supplied

Tests confirmed it was 13.1kg of methamphetamine with a purity of 80 per cent. It could have produced 650,000 individual doses of the class A drug.

The smuggled shipment had a street value of $4.5 million, and could have caused $14.3m of social harm, Customs said.

The operation highlighted the continued success of the partnership between police and Customs, NOCG Detective Inspector Paul Newman said.

The smuggled shipment had a street value of $4.5 million. Photo / Supplied

"The actions of this criminal group prey heavily on our communities, taking money and resources away from families and disproportionately affecting our youngest and most vulnerable. These criminals are motivated by greed with little or no regard for the harm they are causing," he said.

"We remain focused on detecting and disrupting these criminals, seizing the proceeds of their crimes and protecting our communities."

Customs investigations manager Cam Moore said today's sentencing was due to the work of all those involved.

"Credit goes to Customs officers who picked up discrepancies in the paperwork, and excellent work by the National Organised Crime Group who, together with Customs investigators, built the evidence to culminate in another successful prosecution."