AUCKLAND: A 21-year-old man has appeared in court after authorities intercepted a shipment of drugs that could be used to make millions of dollars of methamphetamine.
Customs Investigations manager Maurice O’Brien said 14.6 kilograms of ephedrine was discovered in a courier package, which had come from Malaysia, at the Air Cargo Inspections Facility in Auckland last month.
The ephedrine could be used to make methamphetamine with a street value of up to $7 million, O’Brien said.
Investigators tracked the package to a property in Yaldhurst, Canterbury, and arrested a 21-year-old man, on Thursday.
Jiaxuan Li, 21, a cook, appeared in Christchurch District Court on Friday charged with the importation and possession for supply of a class B controlled drug, namely ephedrine.
He was released on bail and scheduled to reappear in the court on November 5.
The court heard that Li, who speaks Mandarin and requires an interpreter, was in New Zealand on a four year visa.
Lawyer Tony Garrett said there was a strong possibility his client would defend the charges.
O’Brien said the drug bust was a “major win” for the people of Canterbuy.
“The cost of the social harm of this amount of methamphetamine to the community could be as much as $3 million.”
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