Christchurch pair charged after cocaine intercept

Two people aged 76 and 25 have been arrested and charged in Christchurch with importing cocaine.

Late last month, Customs intercepted a package at the International Mail Centre in Auckland that was found to contain up to 1.5kg of liquid cocaine, police revealed today.

Police said they executed a search warrant at a Christchurch property on Wednesday where cocaine and a significant amount of cash was discovered.

A 76-year-old man was arrested and charged with importing a Class A controlled drug and possession of cocaine for supply.

He was remanded in custody to reappear in Christchurch District Court on April 15.

A 25-year-old woman arrested yesterday has also been charged with importing cocaine. She is due to reappear in Christchurch District Court on April 30.

“This is another example of police working collaboratively with Customs in order to prevent the devastating harm created by the sale and supply of illicit drugs,” Detective Senior Sergeant Joel Syme said today.

“Police will continue to target this type of offending, alongside our partners, in order to keep our communities safe.”