Stock pot meth smuggler Mohd Bin Abdullah told Manukau judge he thought drugs were gold
A man was sentenced to prison in New Zealand after attempting to smuggle over $1 million worth of methamphetamine hidden inside a stock pot. Despite his claims that he believed he was transporting gold, evidence from his phone messages confirmed he was aware of the drug trafficking operation.
Why it matters
This case illustrates the methods used by international drug syndicates and the effectiveness of customs intelligence in intercepting illicit goods.
A man who smuggled more than $1 million worth of methamphetamine into New Zealand in a stock pot insisted he thought he was hiding gold, not drugs.
Drug mule Mohd Bin Abdullah was being sentenced in Manukau District Court last week when he shouted out in Malay.
"What I know is it's gold, it is not a drug," he yelled, according to an interpreter to the court.
But Judge Ngaroma Tahana called his explanation "porkies" and sentenced him to prison.
The agreed facts said Abdullah arrived at Auckland International Airport on September 27 and was referred to Customs for questioning and examination.
Officers searched his suitcase, which held a heavy tampered stock pot that, when dismantled, was revealed to be holding 3.58kg of methamphetamine.
The methamphetamine found had a street value of $1.074m, according to the summary.
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