Liquid cocaine bust: Man, 76, one of two people charged with importing drugs

A 76-year-old man has been arrested for importing drugs after 1.5kg of liquid cocaine was discovered in a package at an Auckland mail centre.

Customs discovered the liquid drug in late March after intercepting the package when it arrived at the International Mail Centre.

That led to police executing a search warrant at a Christchurch address on Wednesday where they discovered cocaine and a significant amount of cash, police said today.

A 76-year-old man was charged with importing a Class A controlled drug and possession of cocaine for supply and remanded in custody to reappear in Christchurch District Court on April 15.

A 25-year-old woman arrested yesterday has also been charged with importing cocaine and is due to reappear in Christchurch District Court on April 30.

"This is another example of police working collaboratively with Customs in order to prevent the devastating harm created by the sale and supply of illicit drugs," Detective Senior Sergeant Joel Syme said.

"Police will continue to target this type of offending, alongside our partners, in order to keep our communities safe."