Two men have appeared in the Tauranga District Court after being arrested for the alleged importation and possession of 25 kilograms of ephedrine, a precursor to methamphetamine.
According to the New Zealand Customs Service it's estimated the amount of ephedrine could have produced up to 18.75 kilograms of methamphetamine, worth around $9.38 million.
Customs officers patrolling the Port of Tauranga yesterday questioned a 33-year-old foreign national who had arrived on Friday 28 June on the logging vessel Bunun Justice.
He attempted to return to the ship when Customs officers advised he and the Bunun Justice would be searched.
The man was apprehended and a total of around 12 kilograms of ephedrine was located. Another package of ephedrine, weighing one kilogram, was located when Customs officers searched the ship.
Customs say investigations linked the man to a second male, a foreign national, who was arrested by police in Tauranga last night, with 12 kilograms of ephedrine in his possession.
Both arrested men appeared in court today, and have been remanded in custody to next appear in Tauranga District Court on 30 July.
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