Man Sentenced For Importing Drugs In Ornaments

The vigilance of a freight forwarding company has ultimately led to an Auckland man being sentenced for attempting to import the precursor drug Contac NT.  

Manuel Sadler, 28, was arrested by Customs officers in February last year after they found almost 2.4 kilograms of Contac NT concealed in resin ornaments air freighted from China to an Auckland-based freight forwarding company.

An employee of the company became suspicious when Sadler tried to collect the goods on three separate occasions using incorrect paperwork, and reported it to Customs.

Contac NT contains pseudoephedrine which is used to make methamphetamine or ‘P’. This amount has a street value of between $84,000 and $126,000 and would have yielded between 480 – 730 grams of P worth up to $730,000.

Mark Day, Customs Manager Investigations, says that criminals are finding it hard to source products containing pseudoephedrine locally so they rely on international supply chains to bring the drugs into New Zealand.

“Customs focuses its efforts on disrupting the illicit drug trade and maintaining supply chain security. It’s great to see that other border-related businesses share our commitment and are prepared to act.

“This is also a warning to people who attempt to bring drugs across the border that someone is always watching,” says Mr Day.

Sadler pleaded guilty to importation charges at the Manukau District Court yesterday and was sentenced to nine months’ home detention and 300 hours of community work.

Importation of a class B controlled drug carries a maximum penalty of 14 years’ imprisonment.

ENDS

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