New Zealand authorities find 18.45kg of meth in luggage of woman who arrived on flight from Singapore

A New Zealand woman who flew to Auckland from Singapore was caught with 18.45kg of methamphetamine in her luggage.

New Zealand Customs said on Tuesday (Jan 6) that the 33-year-old had arrived at Auckland Airport on Jan 4.

She was referred to Customs for further questioning, where officers checked her belongings and discovered 18 vacuum-sealed packages containing a white crystalline substance in her baggage.

Tests determined that the substance to be meth, also known as "Ice".

The seized drug could produce 922,500 doses and has a potential street value of NZ$5.53 million (S$4 million), estimated the New Zealand Customs.

According to the New Zealand Herald, the woman was on flight SQ285, which flies directly from Singapore to Auckland.

In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said it ascertained that the woman had transited to Auckland via Singapore, and her journey did not originate from here.

"As the matter is being investigated by the New Zealand authorities, it is inappropriate for CNB to comment further,” said the spokesperson.

The woman was charged in court on Monday (Jan 5) with importing a Class A controlled drug into the country.

The New Zealand Herald also cited court documents as showing that she does not have a registered home address in New Zealand.

If found guilty, she may be sentenced to life imprisonment.

Editor's note: This article has been edited for clarity.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com