Ex-policewoman awaits drug trial

A former Australian police officer has been extradited to New Zealand to face a charge of importing $1 million of the party drug Ecstasy.

Cindy Elizabeth Zurowski, of Brighton East in Victoria, is accused of organising two other people to ferry just under 16,000 Ecstasy tablets into the country in June 2003.

Zurowski, 38, fought for two years against extradition, but was flown to New Zealand on August 26 to face the accusation.

She was in custody in Australia for three weeks before being extradited and was in custody in this country until yesterday, when her lawyer, John Haigh, QC, successfully applied in the Auckland District Court for conditional bail.

Importing a class-B drug carries a maximum 14-year sentence.

According to the police, Zurowski made the flight arrangements for her two co-accused to travel to Germany to get the drugs.

One of the boyfriend-and-girlfriend couriers was searched at Auckland Airport and found with 15,897 pills.

The other was arrested the following day.

Four days later Zurowski returned to Australia.

Her occupation is recorded as self-employed mortgage broker and real estate agent.

She is to appear in court again this month.