New Zealand police arrested 12 people including eight prison inmates in what they called a major drug ring smuggling medicines into the country from China.
Police said raids on two prisons and 23 homes in Auckland followed a 6-month investigation into the activities of a well-organized group of criminals involved in the manufacture of methamphetamine and other illegal drugs.
Customs officers said the investigation intercepted 20 kilograms of Contact NT, a controlled substance used to make methamphetamine, in packets mailed from China. They said it was enough to make 5 kilograms of the drug.
Operation commander detective inspector Steve Wood said police also seized a hydroponic cannabis-growing operation, firearms and cash, though none of it was confiscated from the prisons.
The 12 suspects, including two women, will appear in court on September 22 on a range of charges, including the manufacture and supply of illegal drugs.
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