Hong Kong national jailed for 10 years for importing drugs

File photo / NZ Herald

A Hong Kong national has been jailed for 10 years for importing methamphetamine worth an estimated $1 million in a statue.

Ka Po Ching, 25, was today sentenced at Auckland District Court after pleading guilty to two charges of importing the class-A drug.

She will have to serve at least four years before being deported, Customs said.

On January 3, a foot-high Chinese warrior statue in a glass case arrived by courier from Hong Kong.

The glass case did not save it from closer inspection by Customs officers who found 993g of methamphetamine, with a street value of about $1 million, hidden inside.

Customs investigations manager Maurice O'Brien said criminals were creative in their attempts to bring drugs into the country but authorities would not be deterred by elaborate presentation and delivery methods.

The package and other offending were subsequently linked to Ching who had arrived in New Zealand a week before the statue.

Customs arrested her at a central city apartment she was renting.

Mr O'Brien said it was not uncommon for syndicates to recruit young people from overseas and pay for them to travel to and reside in New Zealand solely to "catch" and redeliver illicit drugs.

"The public should be aware that such criminals could be renting properties or apartments solely to have packages delivered to that address, or asking others to receive a package on their behalf," he said.