An investigation is underway after workers at an Auckland business discovered 36kg of cocaine – worth around $12.6 million – stashed inside a container.
Detective Senior Sergeant Jason Hunt said staff working at the Auckland premises were unloading legitimate goods shipped from Brazil when the cocaine was discovered.
“It was in the bags on top of the legitimate product in the container.”
Police were then contacted, and detectives from the National Organised Crime Group seized the drugs, valued at around $12.6 million.
Hunt said it was a prime example of a “‘rip on’ or ‘rip off’ importation to try and sneak drugs into New Zealand”.
“It’s a common method used by criminal groups where they exploit the bona fide details of a legitimate company’s import.”
Police said it was now working to locate the criminal syndicate involved in the importation.
Hunt added police would work with overseas law enforcement agencies as part of the investigation.
“I acknowledge the staff for doing the right thing and it’s great to have this product seized before it reached New Zealand communities.
“For context, removing this amount of cocaine from the market may have prevented up to $13m worth of social harm to the country.”
