An Auckland property developer is facing drug charges after being arrested following her erratic behaviour at Dunedin International Airport on Sunday.
Airport police took the woman to emergency psychiatric services, but later arrested her when it was established she was not ill but was affected by drugs, police said.
Lynne Valerie Carter (45) was charged with fraud and possessing the Class A prohibited drug methamphetamine (P).
She appeared briefly in the Dunedin District Court yesterday and was remanded in custody to reappear today.
Senior Sergeant Bruce Ross, of Dunedin, said Carter arrived in Dunedin on a flight from Auckland on Sunday morning after paying cash for a ticket issued in a false name.
Dressed in black, with a large black hat and a black scarf over her mouth and nose, she would not identify herself when police approached her inside the terminal.
She told officers she was Muslim and men were not allowed to see her face.
She had cash with her but no identification and said she had left her bag in Auckland.
After talking to her for several hours, police took the woman to Dunedin Hospital's emergency psychiatric service (EPS) because she appeared to be "showing signs of being mentally disordered", Snr Sgt Ross said.
When she later made a call, a staff member redialled the number and found Carter had been talking to her parents.
They told the staff member Carter had been reported missing from Auckland on July 15.
Late that afternoon, EPS staff informed police the woman did not have a mental illness, but had been affected by drugs, which had worn off.
She was subsequently arrested and charged with fraud for using another person's credit card to purchase lingerie.
Her bag, located by Auckland police at Auckland airport, contained P, Snr Sgt Ross said.
