Quake contractors' cocaine bust

The contents of a suitcase which resulted in 3.7 kg of cocaine being seized by customs officials at Auckland International Airport. Photo / Supplied

Two of the men arrested in a cocaine smuggling bust were contractors helping to rebuild Christchurch.

And detectives who broke the alleged drug ring have now switched their focus to finding its ringleader overseas.

More than $1 million of the Class A drug was seized at Auckland's airport, and five people were arrested and charged in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch this week.

The woman was granted name suppression when she appeared in the Manukau District Court with David Negrete Nevarez, a 43-year-old from Mexico, and Adrian Kemp, 30, from the North Shore.

Cameron John Lockie, 36, appeared in the Christchurch District Court and another man, who has name suppression, appeared in the Wellington District Court.

All five were charged with importing cocaine and possessing it for supply, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Customs staff found 3.7kg of cocaine at Auckland International Airport last week.

The drugs were hidden in a suitcase allegedly belonging to Nevarez, who was stopped after getting off a Lan Chile flight from Santiago, Chile on the morning of December 13.

The other four were arrested after a surveillance operation involving police and Customs staff.

The Herald can reveal that Lockie and the man whose name is suppressed were contractors to the Earthquake Commission, and were in different offices in Christchurch to assess damaged buildings.

"As soon as EQC heard details of the arrest, we immediately started an audit of all activities undertaken on EQC's behalf by these individuals," said a spokesman.

He said the commission would help the police inquiry but declined to comment further as the matter was before the court.

Now, detectives from the Organised and Financial Crime Agency are tracking down the man they say sent the cocaine to New Zealand.

The officer in charge of the operation, Detective Senior Sergeant Lloyd Schmid, said the man responsible had been identified.

Mr Schmid was in contact with police liaison officers in the foreign country, which he declined to identify.

But he said the country had an extradition agreement with New Zealand, which means the alleged ringleader could be arrested and brought here to face charges.

The cocaine haul comes three months after a 37-year-old Colombian woman died in Auckland Hospital after an internally concealed package of cocaine burst inside her.

A post-mortem examination found Sorlinda Aristizabal-Vega had been carrying more than 20 packages of cocaine worth up to $190,000.

Her son-in-law, Peter Leaitua, wanted by Interpol on cocaine smuggling charges, has since been arrested.

"It's a risky business importing cocaine, either in your body or in your luggage. Either way you are going to get caught," Detective Inspector Bruce Good said this week.

In April, Sharon Armstrong, 54, was arrested when 5kg of cocaine was found hidden in her luggage at Buenos Aires Airport.

The former Maori Language Commission deputy chief executive is in Unidad 31, a medium-security prison 30km southwest of the Argentinian capital.

She admitted she knew about a parcel hidden in her suitcase, but says she had no idea it contained drugs.

The Wellington woman said she was taking a top-secret business contract to London where she was to give it to a man she had been dating online for six months.