Ten Malaysians who tried to smuggle drugs into New Zealand in the shoes they were wearing have been jailed by the High Court in Auckland.
Ewe Hoe Ong, 40, Eng Wan Teoh, 22, Yuen Fatt Wong, 61, Sit Mooi En, 29, Ah Kooi Teoh, 21, Lian Fong Wong, 53, Tan Ah Nya, 51, Wai Hong Leong, 23, Teng-Kim Ooi and Eng Hin Ong 39, appeared before Justice Graham Lang for sentence.
They were given prison sentences of between nine years, 11 months and 10 years, six months.
The eight men and two women were arrested on arrival at Auckland International Airport in April when customs officers noticed they were walking uncomfortably.
Each had 800 grams to just under 1 kilogram of methamphetamine hidden in their shoes.
Officials said the apparent tour party from Malaysia was the biggest number of drug couriers caught coming into the country at one time.
Defence lawyers said the eight men and two women had been individually recruited by loan sharks due to drug, business, medical or gambling debts and other financial difficulties.
Their clients were promised amounts of between $9000 and $16,000 for importing the drugs, they said.
Justice Lang took note of the early guilty pleas and those with otherwise clean records.
He ordered most of the defendants to spend at four years and six months in prison before qualifying for parole.
NZN