The former boss of a Kiwi arrested in China allegedly trying to smuggle 75 kilograms of methamphetamine out of the country says he is devastated by the news.
Peter Gardiner, 25, and his Australian girlfriend Kalynda Davis, 22, were reportedly arrested at Guangzhou airport four weeks ago, bound for Sydney where the couple live, Radio New Zealand reports.
The penalty in China for smuggling more than 50 kilograms of methamphetamine is death by firing squad.
Gardiner's former employer, Michael Kulakovski, said Gardiner worked for him for six years and he thought of him as a son.
He was surprised by the arrest and said Gardiner was a hard worker who would go out of his way to help someone.
The New Zealand Consul-General has visited Gardiner in the Guangzhou detention centre to check on his well-being and said he had legal representation.
A statement said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs could not comment on the ongoing investigation or interfere in the judicial proceedings of another country.
It said family of the pair did not wish to speak to the media and had asked that their privacy be respected.
