Sweaty French tourists arrested with $50,000 of cannabis in Queenstown

Two French nationals are expected to appear in Queenstown District Court today after being found with about $50,000 of cannabis in their car in Queenstown early yesterday.

Sergeant Steve Watt, of Queenstown, said a member of the public called police to report a vehicle in the resort ''with a distinct smell of cannabis coming from it'' about 2am.

"Community patrol managed to locate the vehicle on Earl Street and subsequently called us to attend.

"The car certainly did smell of cannabis and a search was invoked.''

A total of 2.43kg of cannabis was found in a vehicle parked in Queenstown early yesterday. Photo / Police

Watt said police subsequently located 2.43kg of cannabis, bagged up into 1 ounce bags, in the vehicle, estimated to have a street value of $50,000.

"It was very unexpected - a seizure like that's not commonplace in Queenstown.

"It was a surprise for the officers to locate such a large quantity of cannabis.''

Watt said the men, aged 27 and 23, were ''pretty clammy to be fair''.

"They didn't say much and they were sweaty.''

Both face charges of possession of cannabis for the purpose of supply and possession of utensils and are expected to appear in the Queenstown District Court this morning.