10 MALAYSIANS ARRESTED IN NEW ZEALAND FOR SMUGGLING DRUGS

KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 (Bernama) -- Ten Malaysians were arrested at the
Auckland International Airport in New Zealand Tuesday for trying to smuggle in
methamphetamine worth NZ$10 million in their shoes.

The New Zealand Herald reported that the Customs made the bust after
stopping two members of a Malaysian tour group who arrived at the airport at
midday on Tuesday.

It said that they were found to be carrying methamphetamine, or P, in their
shoes after being questioned and searched, while the rest of the group were
tracked down by Customs officers and airport police.

"All were revealed to be carrying between 800g and 1kg of P in their shoes.
The current street value of P is approximately $1 million per kilo," the daily
said.

Eight men and two women aged between their early 20s and late 60s were
arrested by police drug squad detectives and were set to appear in Manukau
District Court Wednesday.


It quoted Customs drug investigations manager Mark Day as saying that the
bust involved the biggest number of drug couriers ever caught in a single
incident at the New Zealand border.

"By embedding themselves in what appear to be legitimate tour groups, these
criminals are trying to assume normal travel patterns so that they will not be
targeted as high risk," he said.

According to the Malaysian Foreign Ministry, till March 31 this year, 833
out of the 1,880 Malaysians detained overseas were for drug-related offences.