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Police have seized $4.1m worth of a dangerous date rape drug after a tip-off from a member of the public in the Wairarapa.
In the seizure, 820 litres of gamma butyrolactone (GBL), also known as the “date rape” drug fantasy or liquid ecstasy, was discovered in a storage container at11pm on Monday night.
The stupefying drug, stored in plastic containers, is believed to be enough for over 500,000 individual doses, police said.
A report to police about suspicious behaviour at the storage facility led officers to the scene, where they noticed a strong chemical smell coming from the shipping container.
“Police conducted an initial scene examination with the assistance of Fire and Emergency New Zealand. Clandestine lab specialists from Auckland and PHF Science undertook further examinations and confirmed the presence of GBL inside the container,” police said.
820 litres of GBL was seized, with an estimated street value of $4.1 million. Photo / Police
“The seizure of such a large quantity of GBL will result in a significant dent in the GBL illicit drug market across the Wellington District and most likely further afield.”
A 35-year-old woman from Tawa and a 39-year-old man from Porirua have been arrested and charged with possession of GBL for supply.
The pair are in custody and will appear before the Porirua District Court on January 13 on the charges.
The seizure follows the largest in New Zealand at the border in August, when Customs found nearly 2000 litres worth $14m, leading to the arrest of four men.
