Wenqing Li, known as Wendy, stuffed the prickly plants in stockings and strapped them to her body to smuggle them from China to New Zealand.

However, she was caught by a detector dog on arrival in Auckland Airport and arrested while trying to dispose of the plants in the airport bathrooms.

She pleaded guilty at Manukau District Court to two separate violations of biosecurity laws, The Guardian reports.

Ms Li has been sentenced to 12 months of intensive supervision and 100 hours of community work.