New Zealand celebrates largest drug seizure in history

A Navy ship intercepted 3.5 tons of cocaine floating in the Pacific Ocean. This is enough to feed Australia for her one year.

More than 3.5 tonnes of cocaine were found floating in the Pacific Ocean last week, New Zealand police confirmed Wednesday. The haul makes it the largest drug seizure in the country to date.

The cocaine was packed in 81 plastic-wrapped bales covered with flotation devices and was part of Operation Hydros, launched in December involving New Zealand Police, Customs and the Armed Forces, for surveillance. It was discovered in a joint operation called “Movement of Suspicious Ship” according to a police statement. The Royal Navy ship HMNZS Manawanui will take her hull and bring it to Auckland for destruction.

The cocaine, worth about NZ$500 million ($316 million) wholesale, has been on the Australian market for one year and on the New Zealand market for 30 years, Police Commissioner Andrew Koster claimed.

According to police organized crime group head Greg Williams, the method of packing and delivery was not uncommon in the area, but the amount of cocaine was about 4% of the previous record-holding haul. It was double.

No arrests have been made and police have not identified a suspect.The place where I dropped it is the police “passing point” For international drug smugglers.

Officials credited Operation Hydros and stressed the need for law enforcement to work with other government departments. “Perhaps this just shows that international organized crime groups are testing the market in different ways, so we need to work together as agencies.” Customs Services Acting Commissioner Bill Perry said: