New Zealand Customs officers said Friday that they had seized methamphetamine worth 145,000 NZ dollars (120,192 U.S. dollars) being smuggled into the country in women's platform shoes from China.
Customs officers at the Air Cargo Inspections Facility in Auckland became suspicious while viewing x-ray images of two pairs of shoes sent from China.
On examination, they found four packages hidden inside the hollowed-out heels containing a total of 145g of a crystalline substance that tests confirmed was methamphetamine.
"The shoes weren't high fashion, but they were supposedly destined for sale, and are now proving very expensive for the importer," Customs manager investigations Mark Day said in a statement.
"Customs is pleased to have stopped this package and we will continue to target imports to disrupt the drug supply chain," Day said.
Those caught attempting to import controlled drugs such as methamphetamine face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
In October last year, the Customs agencies of New Zealand and China Customs agreed to work more closely together in intelligence- sharing, targeting and operations to combat the smuggling of drugs.
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