Baby carriers used to smuggle meth into NZ

Baby carriers and tie boxes were used to hide the drugs. Photo/supplied

A Latvian traveller was sentenced to imprisonment today for trying to smuggle $1.1 million of meth into the country in baby carriers and tie boxes.

Arturs Stasevskis, 20, was busted Auckland Airport by Customs when he came back from Dubai on March 12.

A search of his luggage revealed 1.1kg of methamphetamine hidden in the tie boxes and seven baby carriers. The amount has a potential street value of $1.1 million.

Stasevskis was given the carriers and boxes along with baby clothes and shoes in Riga Latvia after he agreed to smuggle the drug into New Zealand, where it would be collected and he would then be paid.

Investigators found 1.1kg of meth in the man's luggage. Photo/supplied

He was sentenced in the Manukau District Court today to six years in prison.

"This case is another classic example of an offender who got greedy and acted as a drug courier to get Class A drugs into New Zealand," Customs investigations manager Maurice O'Brien said.

"Customs has many different ways to identify these high risk passengers and stop them at the border.

"Criminals syndicates don't care about what happens to these drug couriers. These offenders pay the price for their greed, as shown in today's sentencing."