Drug mule ‘needed cash to help family’

A DRUG courier will spend years in a New Zealand prison for helping import about $4 million of methamphetamine.

Police said Chin-Sheng Chen, 46, who normally lives in Taiwan, imported the drug disguised as moist towelettes, and conspired to supply the drug. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to eight years and 11 months in jail.

In Wellington District Court yesterday Judge Peter Hobbs said three of the 365 sachets were tested.

Based on the results, it was estimated the whole group would have yielded between 3.9kg and 4.2kg of methamphetamine up to 80 per cent pure. The street value was between $3.9m and $4.2m.

Chen said he needed the money he would have received to pay for medical treatment for family members.

He speaks no English so the jail term would be hard, his lawyer, Letizea Ord, said.

Chen had come to New Zealand with an English-speaking guide. She was arrested with him but charges against her were dropped.

The judge said they went to an Upper Hutt hotel in December last year. When they checked out staff were asked to ring them when a package arrived for Chen.

The package had been sent from China on November 29 and was intercepted.

The authorities did a ‘‘controlled’’ delivery, Chen was told the package had arrived and it was collected. He then told his contact that it had arrived. He was arrested soon after.

The Crown said Chen was aware of what was in the package and went to lengths to fulfil his role. But Ord said, while he knew it was illegal, he did not know what the substance was or the amount.

The judge said Chen must have known he was involved in importing a serious, illegal drug.