Video: $20 million Tauranga cocaine bust - a close up look at the ship where the drugs entered NZ

November 1, 2017

Assistant Commissioner Investigations Richard Chambers says it's the biggest cocaine seizure our country has ever seen.

Four foreign nationals faced court in Tauranga this afternoon after $20 million worth of cocaine was seized after a ship arrived in the port from Chile late last night, the largest single seizure of cocaine in New Zealand.

Police say a syndicate approached the vessel under the cover of darkness, retrieving the cocaine from a hidden compartment on the exterior of the hull.

Four foreigners have appeared in court over the bust.

Search warrants executed in Tauranga, Mt Manganui and residential addresses in Auckland early this morning culminated in arrests. 

Two Australian men and a Croatian aged in their mid-forties, and one Serbian national in his mid-thirties, appeared in the Tauranga District Court this afternoon on charges relating to importing the cocaine and possessing the drug for supply. 

All four men were granted interim name suppression and were remanded in custody to reappear in court tomorrow morning.

Four foreign nationals were arrested in raids after the Maersk Line ship arrived from Chile.

A further five kilograms of cocaine and a kilogram of methamphetamine was located in an Onehunga address along with a large amount of cash, police say.  

Police say inquiries have linked this to an alleged previous importation which included a further 30 kg of cocaine.  As a result the two Australian and the Croatian nationals will face additional charges relating to this.

A five-month Customs and Police investigation led to the arrests after an estimated 46 kilograms of cocaine, with a street value of around $20 million - $450 per gram - was seized from an address in Tauranga in this morning's raids.

Customs commenced the operation after an investigation into smaller methamphetamine seizures, resulting in several arrests, identified persons of interest believed to be involved in smuggling and distributing Class A drugs and money laundering.

Police Assistant Commissioner Investigations, Richard Chambers, says today’s seizure is hugely significant.

"These arrests have dismantled a trans-national crime syndicate attempting to profit from a drug that would have caused a great deal of harm within our communities," he said. 

Assistant Commissioner Chambers says that this is the largest single seizure of cocaine in New Zealand, and the shipment was destined for New Zealand.

During the course of the inquiry evidence has also been uncovered of a sophisticated money laundering operation sending hundreds of thousands of dollars out of New Zealand through international criminal money remitters, he said.  

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