Customs seize $1.6 Million of Ice

New Zealand Customs Service officers seized two packages containing 14.9kg of ephedrine with a street value of approximately $1.6 million dollars earlier this month.

Ephedrine is a primary component used in the manufacture of the class A controlled drug crystal methamphetamine (Ice).

This amount of ephedrine would be refined to produce between 10 - 13kg of Ice with an approximate street value of $10 -13 million.

The ephedrine was intercepted at the International Mail Centre (IMC) in two mail packages from India.

The packages contained an assortment of packaged Indian foods. Concealed within the food packages were plastic bags containing ephedrine. The two packages contained a total of 14.9kg of Ephedrine.

Group Manager Investigations Paul Campbell said the seizure was just one of a number of successful detections made by customs officers working at the International Mail Centre.

"Seizures of ephedrine, and pseudoephedrine – the two most commonly intercepted component substances used to manufacture ice – happen frequently. This particular seizure though, was notable for its size."

Two men and a woman have been charged in connection to this importation.

No further information is available at this stage as the matter is now before the courts.