Customs officials in New Zealand are reporting the arrest of a Canadian woman who is alleged to have been caught with 10.2 kilograms of methamphetamine found inside her baggage and wrapped as if it belonged under a Christmas tree.

The New Zealand Customs Service issued a news release Tuesday saying the woman took a flight from Vancouver to Auckland, arriving in the North Island city on Dec. 8. 

The individual was questioned after landing in Auckland, the customs service said. Officers searched her bag and allegedly found the drugs inside it.

On social media, the customs service identified the accused as a Canadian national. But she was not identified by name in that posting, nor in the news release.

The customs service said the woman faces "charges of importation and possession for supply of a Class A controlled drug" and that she appeared in Auckland's Manukau District Court on these same charges and has since been remanded into custody.

Global Affairs Canada said it was aware of the arrest of a Canadian in New Zealand. The department said it was monitoring the situation closely and providing consular assistance. It declined to provide further comment, citing privacy considerations.

The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority — the Crown corporation responsible for security screening at more than 80 Canadian airports, including Vancouver International Airport — told CBC News in an email that it's "not aware" of the investigation in New Zealand and as such has no information about it.

Recent arrests of Canadians

The New Zealand Customs Service has reported at least two prior incidents this year involving Canadians flying out of Vancouver, landing in New Zealand, and then being arrested on allegations they were ferrying methamphetamine to the island country.

One case involved a 27-year-old male who travelled overseas in August, while another involved a 27-year-old female who flew to Auckland in late October. 

The customs service had directly referred to the individuals in the prior cases as being alleged drug couriers. In the current case, it said only that it works closely "with our Canadian partners and collaborate with them closely to, in some cases, stop the drug couriers even before they board a flight here."

There are instances of Canadians serving long sentences for drug-related offences in New Zealand.

A Canadian man in his 30s was handed a nine-year and nine-month sentence in May after being convicted of importing a Class A controlled drug. At the time of his arrest, the customs service had stated that he was a Canadian national. He'd been caught with nearly 26 kilograms of methamphetamine that police said was hidden within the lining of his suitcases.

Canadians have also allegedly been caught with methamphetamine inside their luggage Down Under in recent months, according to the Australian Federal Police. In separate cases in October, a 59-year-old man was arrested at an airport in Brisbane and a 38-year-old man was arrested in Sydney.

Both had flown to Australia from Vancouver and both had multiple kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in their luggage, according to police.