Kiwi allegedly duped by Instagram ‘courier’ job leads to 18kg meth bust at LAX

Friday, 20 March 2026

A New Zealand man accused of attempting to smuggle nearly 18 kilograms of methamphetamine out of the US reportedly told authorities he believed he had been hired through Instagram to courier high-end clothing to Auckland.

According to court documents, Ethan Komiti was stopped at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on February 17 after US Customs and Border Protection officers searched a suitcase checked under his name.

Officers allegedly found multiple black sealed packages containing 17.74kg of a white crystalline substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine, a criminal complaint filed in the Central District of California says.

Komiti has been charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance under US law and remains in custody in California.

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In an affidavit filed in support of the complaint, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Steven Low said Komiti agreed to be interviewed after his arrest and waived his right to have a lawyer present.

The affidavit alleges the methamphetamine was found in a charcoal-coloured suitcase that Komiti confirmed was his, and had an airline tag that read: “Komiti/Ethan Polom”.

During the interview, Komiti allegedly told agents two weeks earlier he had responded to an advertisement on his Instagram feed from an account named “Drip District Lab” that was looking for hand couriers for clothing shipments from LA to Auckland.

He said he was contacted by a person known to him only as “Harris”, who arranged his flights. Komiti said Harris had an American accent and they never met in-person.

Komiti then allegedly told investigators he stayed at an Airbnb in Burbank paid for by “Harris”, where he received two shipments.

The shipments were each delivered by an Uber driver a few days apart.

Over WhatsApp, Harris then instructed Komiti to take a video of himself opening the first shipment.

“According to Komiti, the shipment contained clothing and the video of him unpacking it is on his phone,” the affidavit says.

“Komiti told us the second shipment had a padlock and that he was never asked to open it or confirm its contents. Komiti stated that he never opened the second shipment,” According to the affidavit, Komiti was told that, upon returning to New Zealand, he would deliver the shipments to stores for resale.

The whole trip was paid for by “Harris” and his associates, including airfares, food and accommodation.

He told agents he received between NZD $3050 and $3400 from Harris via a crypto-based money transfer app Kast, in addition to travel and lodging expenses.

“Komiti denied knowledge that the shipments contained anything but clothing,” the affidavit says.

Komiti appeared in the United States District Court for the Central District of California on February 20 for his initial appearance.

A detention hearing was held on February 24 and he was later arraigned on March 17. He remains in custody.

Komiti’s defence lawyer, Elena Sadowsky, declined to comment on his behalf when approached by The Post.

“ I do not communicate with reporters while a case is pending. I hope you will understand,” she said.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed it is providing consular assistance to a New Zealand citizen in the US, but said no further information could be provided for privacy reasons.