Customs' haul of drugs surges

Customs officials are seizing record amounts of crystal methamphetamine at New Zealand's borders.

Figures released by Customs show the amount seized has jumped eight times to 24kg in the past financial year. Customs made 73 "significant" seizures, compared to 32 the year before.

Drugs investigations manager Simon Williamson said "transnational" criminal groups were using New Zealand as a transit point and a destination.

Most of the drugs that came in were sourced in Asia and included cocaine, heroin and Ecstasy.

"The demand for the drugs is there and so is the profit. A gram of crystal meth can sell for $1000 in New Zealand but costs only $20 a gram at source. That is a lot of profit," Mr Williamson said.

Good intelligence and co-operation with the New Zealand police and overseas agencies had helped to make more seizures.

Mr Williamson said New Zealand groups were teaming up with international organisations to import drugs or the precursors to make methamphetamine.

Customs made more than 1300 drug seizures annually.

Mr Williamson said traffickers used any means possible to smuggle in drugs.

A bust last year that found $9 million of crystal methamphetamine in lava lamps, couriered from China, showed what traffickers could do.

"Until the demand diminishes, we are going to continue to see large amounts of drugs coming across our borders," he said.

Police Association president Greg O'Connor said New Zealand gangs were linking with their Chinese counterparts to ensure the steady supply of methamphetamine. This was a change because initially only New Zealand groups were involved.

"It's a measure of the sophistication of the market that these larger importations are being organised. When methamphetamine was started, it was local gangs doing it by themselves," he said.

Mr O'Connor said drugs were like a "rodent infestation" - what is caught is only a small amount of what is there.

The association predicted methamphetamine would be a big problem for years.

Mr O'Connor said until the profit went out of selling substances such as methamphetamine, the problem would continue.

- NZPA