[Source: Radio NZ]

The criminal court in Papeete was told the accused operated from December 2016 until January last year, when three women arriving from Los Angeles were arrested.

It heard some of the accused made several trips to Tahiti to smuggle the drug, with testimony suggesting that some faced death threats to themselves or their family in order to force them to keep working as mules.

One man testified that he was threatened with being dumped at sea between Tahiti and Moorea.

The customs office wants 19 of the 21 to be jointly fined $US2.3 million for importing over one kilogram of the drug.

The prosecution wants the possessions of five of the accused to be confiscated.

It also wants all 21 to be banned from carrying a firearm for five years.