Wellington: In one of the biggest drug seizures in the country, 2.3 tonnes of cocaine worth over $300 million was found floating in the New Zealand sea. Authorities think it was bound for Australia.
New Zealand Police in an official statement said that the drugs were recovered from the Pacific Ocean in a joint operation with the Customs Service and Defence Force of the country. A photo released by the department showed a net supported on the ocean surface by floats. It was apparently taken before the recovery.
Drug traffickers often leave packaged drugs in international waters for pickup by other vessels. They are called cocaine floats - nets set up with flotation devices. They are meant to sit there until someone comes to get them. Deputy comptroller of New Zealand Customs, Bill Perry said while the method is not uncommon, the huge quantity is unusual to be transported in one shipment.
"81 bales of the drug were floating in nets in international waters six days’ sailing north-east of New Zealand, " said Greg Williams, the director of the police’s national organised crime group. He said the quantity indicates that it was not destined for New Zealand. According to the official, the quantity of cocaine recovered is enough to supply New Zealand for 30 years. "New Zealand is not a cocaine market. We are tiny compared to Australia." The haul would have been enough to supply Australia for a year.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said it is one of the single biggest seizures of illegal drugs by authorities in New Zealand. "While this disrupts the syndicate's operations, we remain vigilant given the lengths we know these groups will go to circumvent coming to law enforcement's attention." He added that losing such a big shipment will deal a "significant blow" to the international criminal group that dropped it at the floating transit point.
No arrests have been made yet.
The drug was recovered earlier this month. On Tuesday, it arrived by ship under police escort. It will be destroyed in Auckland.