About 2kg of methamphetamine was seized at Auckland International Airport on 11 June, 2022. Photo: NZ Customs
French Polynesia's president says methamphetamine poses a threat to society with an estimated 10,000 users of the drug in the territory.
Edouard Fritch was speaking in Tahiti at an international conference on drug trafficking and abuse in the Pacific, attended by delegates from the US, France, Australia and New Zealand.
He said the situation is alarming because the drug trade seems to be well entrenched with an impact on family and social life as well as education.
Fritch said methamphetamine users account for about 10 percent of patients in the public health sector.
Drug dealers also account for a large number of court cases and incarcerations.
The authorities believe most of the drugs are smuggled into the territory on planes from Los Angeles for both local consumption and regional distribution.
Public prosecutor Thomas Pison says once restrictions were lifted after the pandemic, the quantities seized increased.
He said the drug sells for about $US2,500 a gram.
The population of French Polynesia is about 280,000.
