Trial date set in meth case

Nine people charged in relation to the biggest drug bust in New Zealand history will face a High Court trial in 2025.

The shipment of 613kg of methamphetamine was intercepted by police and Customs at Auckland Airport in March 2022. Eight men and one woman have been charged with various offences, including importing methamphetamine, money laundering, and possessing a Class A drug for supply.

They had all previously entered guilty pleas at the District Court, but in the High Court yesterday Justice Sally Fitzgerald set down a sevenweek trial for April 2025.

The initial drug seizure at the border had a street value of about $250 million. It was estimated that the drugs would have caused over $500m worth of social harm, as per drug harm index figures, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said.