Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com
A quarter-tonne of cocaine worth $80 million. Sixty-seven illegal firearms. Thousands of gun parts. A suspected pipe bomb.
Those were among the discoveries uncovered in two major law enforcement operations that have dealt a significant blow to organised crime networks operating in New Zealand.
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In one of the country’s largest recent drug interceptions, Police and Customs seized 250 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside a shipping container arriving from Brazil, preventing what authorities say would have caused more than $90 million in social harm.
The massive haul was uncovered as part of Operation Toucan, a joint investigation targeting an international criminal syndicate attempting to smuggle the drugs into New Zealand through the Port of Tauranga.
The cocaine, packed into ten duffle bags and concealed among legitimate cargo, was allowed to continue its journey under police surveillance before officers moved in and arrested four men in Auckland as they allegedly attempted to retrieve the shipment. A fifth arrest followed after search warrants uncovered four high-powered firearms.
Police say the case highlights the increasingly close relationship between international drug trafficking and illegal firearms.
The arrests came during the same week as Operation Athena, a major Trans-Tasman crackdown involving New Zealand and Australian authorities targeting illegal weapons and organised crime.
The week-long operation resulted in 39 arrests, 159 charges, and the seizure of 67 illicit firearms across New Zealand. Investigators also recovered hundreds of firearm parts and nearly 1,500 components linked to the growing threat of 3D-printed weapons.
Among the most alarming finds was a Hastings property where officers allegedly discovered explosive chemicals, ammunition, a rifle and what appeared to be the makings of a pipe bomb.
Police described the materials as extremely dangerous and capable of causing serious harm.
In Northland, investigators recovered several firearms linked to criminal offending, including a shotgun allegedly stolen in a burglary and weapons hidden in remote bushland.
Taken together, the operations reveal the scale of the battle facing law enforcement, from international drug syndicates moving industrial quantities of cocaine to criminals stockpiling illegal weapons and explosive materials.
Police say investigations remain ongoing, and further arrests have not been ruled out.
