Cocaine worth $60.9m seized at Port of Tauranga in major bust

Hundreds of bricks of cocaine worth up to $60.9 million has been found inside three containers at the Port of Tauranga.

On Sunday, Customs officers, police and Navy members searched a container ship that had arrived from Balboa, Panama and found the drugs, Customs NZ said in a statement today.

One hundred and twenty nine bricks of cocaine, each weighing up to 1kg, were found within duffel bags inside two of the containers.

This amount of cocaine would have been worth up to $50 million on the streets, Customs NZ said.

Aerial view of the Port of Tauranga. Photo / Mead Norton

Customs vessel Hawk V had monitored the vessel both at anchor off the port and on to its berth at the port, with the Royal New Zealand Navy Dive team undertaking a dive to check the vessels hull.

Several containers onboard were risk-assessed as “suspicious” and X-rayed.

Four days earlier, Customs officers based in Tauranga had searched another container vessel from Panama and found 28 bricks of cocaine, weighing up to 1kg each, in the refrigeration compartment of a container.

In total, 157 kilograms of cocaine worth up to $60.9 million was seized.

The cocaine was found in duffel bags in containers at the Port of Tauranga. Photo / Customs

Customs manager maritime Robert Smith said: “Customs is taking a New Zealand Inc. approach and combining forces with like-minded agencies and industry colleagues to send a stark warning to transnational and serious organised crime groups that they are not welcome on our shores.

“We have been working closely with port authorities and shipping companies – these seizures evidence our partnerships are really making an impact. Criminal groups can expect to see more of us, not just in Tauranga.

“It is important to emphasise these are not one-off seizures found by chance – these results are through the dedication and hard work of Customs officers who are playing their part day in and day out to protect our borders and communities."

The cocaine was found in duffel bags in containers at the Port of Tauranga. Photo / Customs

Customs NZ said suspicions about drug smuggling can be reported by calling 0800 WE PROTECT (0800 937 768) in confidence, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.