Customs manager of intelligence Bruce Berry told the Herald he believes authorities have never seen metonitazene at the New Zealand border before.
“There are literally thousands of types of opioids within the synthetic market.
“They’re not linked [fentanyl and the metonitazene powder]. There’s no common feature. I don’t think you can say that the cutting of the cocaine was accidental. I think it was done on purpose but the fact that people overdosed was accidental. They thought they were taking cocaine.”
A police spokesperson from the National Drug Intelligence Bureau (NDIB) confirmed the metonitazene was almost certainly intentionally imported, and could be a sign of things to come.
“It’s almost certain the importer knew they were importing a non-fentanyl synthetic opioid,” the spokesperson said.
“As the consignment was not stopped at the border it is not known how this batch entered the country. Typically, small consignments are imported via air mail or air cargo streams. The NDIB [believes] many non-fentanyl illicit opioids are likely manufactured in the People’s Republic of China but are often pressed into tablets in consumer markets such as North America.”
When asked whether police knew who imported the metonitazene tablets, the NDIB spokesperson said: “We are unable to discuss the specifics of an ongoing investigation.”
Berry said the different characteristics of the two batches of synthetic opioids can provide indications on how they arrived into New Zealand.
“What I believe is a small amount of cocaine [responsible for the Wairarapa fentanyl overdoses] was imported that had already been cut somewhere in the supply chain,” Berry said.
“Whether that was in Europe, whether that was in the Americas, whether that was central southern America, we don’t know. We have not been able to trace that particular consignment to any particular individual or instance. When it comes to the tablets [metonitazene], they are a medicinal-grade synthetic opioid.
“I’m advised that the [yellow] powder was crushed pills as opposed to anything else. So that indicates they were a tablet coming through. There’s also a ready market in counterfeit medicines of which things like fentanyl and synthetic opioids can be used. This is people just making money.”
Berry said Customs set up an immediate screening of illicit drug compounds being identified at the border after the Wairarapa fentanyl overdoses in June.
The NZ Drug Foundation released a report yesterday that analyses coronial data from 2017 to 2021. The data shows 171 people died from an overdose in 2021, up from 111 in 2017.
Overdoses over the five-year period rose 54 per cent across New Zealand - an increase not accounted for by a 6 per cent increase in population in that time.
The report has opioid overdoses as clearly the top killer at 333 deaths since 2017. The NZ Drug Foundation said it was broadly right to assume that most of these deaths were not from synthetic opioids.
Despite their proportionally low use in New Zealand, the NDIB spokesperson said synthetic opioids have “long been among the most deadly drugs in New Zealand”.
“The crucial distinction to make is that they have been from licitly produced and diverted synthetic opioids such as methadone, tramadol, oxycodone and fentanyl,” the spokesperson said.
“Illicitly produced opioids pose a significantly increased risk of harm for a number of reasons. They are far more potent than many licitly produced opioids. For example, metonitazene is estimated to be 113-121 per cent more potent than fentanyl, with an active dose of less than 1mg. This makes it incredibly difficult and risky to dose in powder form, and to make tablets that constitute an equal amount of active ingredients.”
Berry said at least from NZ Customs’ perspective, they have not seen a past history of importation of synthetic opioids.
“We’re not seeing synthetic opioids or a spike in them, and we haven’t seen this particular pill at the border. Again, we don’t profess to get it all - it’s impossible - but we have a pretty good interception rate, and what we see at the border is normally indicative of the demand.
“There is not a demand we can see for fentanyl or synthetic opioids as such currently in New Zealand. We don’t have the Oxycodine diversion that was happening in the States, that we can see.”
While Berry did not clarify metonitazene tables that had come through the New Zealand border were bought off the Dark Web, he said most drug interceptions at the border were via this method.
“The vast majority of Customs intercepts - around 70 per cent - are small quantities imported through the mail stream. People believe the anonymity of the web, the anonymity of the mail stream, provides them protection against law enforcement action. That’s just not the case. Sub-gram quantities - a couple of tablets - we pick them up on a regular basis.
“So, we’re really conscious of what’s happening overseas, like the fentanyl epidemic in the States. We have structures in place, we have health and safety systems in place and believe me, if we think we have fentanyl there are escalation points to go through, let alone with the drug early warning system. Because that is a major concern to us in terms of protecting the community.”
The NDIB spokesperson echoed Berry’s concerns around synthetic opioids getting into circulation in New Zealand.
“It is likely similar non-fentanyl synthetic opioids will be imported in the future,” the spokesperson said.
“They are cheaper than pharmaceutically produced and diverted opioids on the black market. There appears to be a small market for these substances among people willing to take illicitly produced opioids to experience a similar or stronger high at a cheaper price.”
