A bus passenger has been arrested in New Zealand after travelling with a toddler trapped inside her luggage.
Detective Inspector Simon Harrison said the 27-year-old woman had been charged with ill-treatment and neglect of a child after the two-year-old was discovered on Sunday.
Police were called to a bus depot in Kaiwaka, 100km north of Auckland, after the bus driver became concerned about a bag moving during a rest stop.
The bag has been stored in a separate luggage compartment underneath the bus seats, which the driver had been repacking.
‘When the driver opened the suitcase, they discovered the two-year-old girl,’ Harrison said.
‘The little girl was reported to be very hot, but otherwise appeared physically unharmed.’
A 27-year-old woman has been arrested after she was travelling on a bus with a two-year-old in her suitcase (stock image)
Harrison said the girl is in hospital undergoing an extensive medical assessment.
The 27-year-old woman was arrested and remains in police custody.
Harrison said the driver had thankfully prevented ‘what could have been a far worse outcome’.
