Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Man's plan to post box full of cannabis foiled by 'distinctive odour'[NZ]
www.newstalkzb.co.nz ^ | August 26, 2025 | Tara Shaskey

Posted on 08/28/2025 11:31:19 AM PDT by Red Badger

A large package set for delivery has caused quite a stink for one courier company, causing it to dial in the help of the police.

After the box was dropped off at New Zealand Couriers in New Plymouth, an employee noticed it was emitting the “distinctive odour” of cannabis.

But the police didn’t have to look far to figure out who was behind the package, with the source having provided his name and contact details on the package receipt.

Today, Anthony Ellison, 40, appeared in the New Plymouth District Court charged with possession of cannabis and cultivation of cannabis, to which he pleaded guilty.

Judge Gregory Hikaka said Ellison dropped off the “large white box” to the courier on October 24 last year.

Inside was 445g of dried cannabis leaf material, intended to make the journey across the Cook Strait to an address in Tākaka.

But after the employee clocked the smell of cannabis, the police were notified.

This led to a search of Ellison’s house in New Plymouth, where police found four “large” cannabis plants growing in pots on his deck.

A “jungle grow tent”, grow lights and a set of scales were also found and seized.

When speaking with the police, Ellison said he had gone to the couriers to drop the package off for a friend.

He admitted the plants growing at his house were his.

In court, defence lawyer Emily Forsyth submitted there was no element of commercial gain in Ellison’s offending, and he was in fulltime employment with a recent opportunity to advance his career.

She said he undertook random drug-testing at work and had offered to do the same through Corrections.

The appropriate sentence was community detention, with a weekend curfew to facilitate the weekday travel Ellison undertook for work, Forsyth submitted.

Police prosecutor Lewis Sutton had no issues with the defence’s submissions but asked for a destruction order to be made in respect to the cannabis and equipment.

Judge Hikaka said Ellison had “a lot of previous convictions” but none for drug offending.

“You could count yourself fortunate. You could have faced different charges on the basis of that quantity, and your posting, as well as your admission that it was to supply someone else.”

The judge agreed the appropriate sentence was community detention, with a weekend curfew, imposing the sentence for three months.

However, he added six months of supervision and made a destruction order for the cannabis and equipment.


TOPICS: Agriculture; Gardening; Health/Medicine; Hobbies
KEYWORDS:

Click here: to donate by Credit Card

Or here: to donate by PayPal

Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794

Thank you very much and God bless you.

Sounds like New Zealand Man is Florida Man's cousin!................
1 posted on 08/28/2025 11:31:19 AM PDT by Red Badger
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

What is the name of the faithless enterprise which betrayed its customer’s trust?


2 posted on 08/28/2025 11:35:01 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is opinion or satire. Or both.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

I worked at a company where we received a package to one of our recently terminated programmers. We opened it up thinking it might be tapes for a client but it was a 5lb brick of marijuana wrapped in plastic & smothered in deodorant. The police were amused when they came to pick up the 1lb bag ;-) We heard later his son in Arizona shipped it to Nebraska.


3 posted on 08/28/2025 11:40:00 AM PDT by Mean Daddy (A well armed society is a polite society.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

Post Office......


4 posted on 08/28/2025 11:52:55 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Up where I used to live the postal workers would have “confiscated” that parcel. Just as the local constabulary did when cutting the teens “some slack” during a road stop.


5 posted on 08/28/2025 12:49:49 PM PDT by Clutch Martin ("The dawn cracks hard like a bull whip and it ain't taking no lip from the night before" Tom Waits)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson