Neck pillows carry hidden meth from Hong Kong: New Zealand Customs

Illegal drugs valued at 1.5 million NZ dollars (957,000 U.S. dollars) were found hidden inside two neck pillows carried by a man travelling from Hong Kong to Wellington, New Zealand Customs officers said Wednesday.

Officers arrested the 49-year-old man Wednesday at Wellington airport after he was found to be carrying approximately 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine.

The man had travelled from Hong Kong via Sydney and was profiled, questioned, and his baggage searched by Customs officers who found the drugs hidden in two neck pillows.

"Our intelligence-led approach has removed another large amount of methamphetamine from the drug supply chain preventing substantial harm to our communities," Customs investigations manager Maurice O'Brien said in a statement.

The man appeared in Wellington District Court on Wednesday, charged with importing class A drugs and possession for supply, Fairfax news reported. He was remanded in custody without plea until next month.