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’.