Police issue warning after large drugs seizure

Police have seized 240,000 pills used to make methamphetamine and have charged four people with drug offences after a joint police and customs operation.

Police said the drugs were in capsules and were inside the cavity of furniture in two containers from China which arrived at the Port of Auckland.

Two people were charged with importing pseudoephdrine and conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, which carries a penalty of 14 years.

Two others were charged with importing Class C drugs and other offences.

The head of Auckland metro crime and operations, Superintendent Ted Cox said many of the targets identified in Operation Vim were Chinese nationals.

He said police were warning them not to get involved by bringing the precursor drugs across the border.

"What we want to achieve through the publicity is raised awareness in the community that bringing precursor drugs into New Zealand is illegal and detection by authorities is highly likely," he said in a statement.

"The message is the same for any sections of the community, if they choose to break our drug laws they will be caught."

The most common pseudoephedrine-based tablet being brought in from China was called Contac NT, which was not approved for import into New Zealand.

Customs Manager for Drug Investigations, Simon Williamson said customs officers were intercepting and detecting large amounts of precursor pills almost on a daily basis.

More than 1.6 million tablets had been seized at the border since January 1 and were destined for the domestic methamphetamine drug trade.

A box of pseudoephedrine-based tablets such as Contac NT, which cost $2 in China, could fetch up to $2000 profit when used in the production of methamphetamine.

In another drug operation which had been running for months police said seven people were arrested and charged with serious drug dealing offences.

Police searched 12 addresses in Auckland and identified members of a motorcycle gang.

One person arrested was sleeping with a loaded Barretta semi-automatic pistol.

- NZPA