An Israeli-born Australian has been found guilty of importing 7kg of cocaine from South America worth nearly $12 million.
A jury in the High Court at Auckland took 11 hours to convict Eric Shar, 44, after a co-accused gave evidence against him.
The Crown maintained that the drug was destined for Australia.
Shar and a South African, Jean Jacques Nieuwoudt, who acted as the courier, were arrested at Auckland airport on a flight from Lima, Peru last September.
Nieuwoudt admitted his role and was given a discounted seven-year term because of his co-operation.
Shar denied importing a class A drug.
Nieuwoudt testified that Shar was assigned as his overseer.
On a bus from the departure lounge to the plane at Lima he said Shar showed him a note which said: "Don't worry. I am not the police. I am here to look after you."
Shar, who did not have drugs on him when arrested, claimed that he had been set up by Nieuwoudt.
He said that he had met Nieuwoudt in Thailand and was his lover.
Nieuwoudt told the jury he had never met Shar before and had never been to Thailand.
Shar also called as a defence witness Joseph Sam Samoa, who is serving a minimum 22 years for convictions for his part in the murders of Pakuranga pizza worker Marcus Doig and ASB Bank teller, John Vaughan.
Samoa said that in the prison van on the way to court, Nieuwoudt told him that he had implicated Shar, but that he had intended to put things right after being sentenced and would tell the authorities that Shar was an innocent man.
Nieuwoudt acknowledged that there had been an encounter in the prison van.
However, he said that Samoa had tried to intimidate him into not giving evidence.
Justice Forrest Miller remanded Shar in custody for sentencing.
Australian found guilty over $12m cocaine run
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