28830 (2025). Hon Jenny Salesa to the Minister of Customs

28830 (2025). Hon Jenny Salesa to the Minister of Customs: What percentage of the total methamphetamine attempted to be imported into New Zealand in 2024 does the New Zealand Customs Service estimate it successfully intercepted at the border?

Hon Casey Costello: I am advised that the New Zealand Customs Service (Customs) does not formally generate estimates on the size of the illicit drug market in New Zealand. This is for a number of reasons, including because Customs cannot estimate the amount of illicit drugs that evaded detection and due to a lack of clarity as to whether drugs seized were to be transhipped elsewhere and the potential for successful incursions to be stockpiled for export elsewhere However, between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024, Customs seized 3,140 kilograms of methamphetamine at New Zealand’s border, and its international partners seized 2,296 kilograms of methamphetamine believed to be destined for New Zealand. The Institute of Environmental Science and Research wastewater testing programme revealed 1,434 kilograms of methamphetamine was consumed in 2024. While there is no direct correlation between domestic consumption and methamphetamine imports that evaded detection, these figures do reflect that Customs has been successful in intercepting high quantities of methamphetamine destined for the New Zealand market.