Police and Customs say they have unravelled “a major transnational organised crime syndicate” smuggling drugs into New Zealand through Auckland International Airport with “corrupt” baggage handlers and local gangs.
The revelations come at a press conference livestreamed at the top of this article.
“We’ll allege in court that this syndicate has operated with corrupt baggage handlers and local gangs to import massive amounts of drugs through the Auckland Airport,” Detective Inspector Tom Gollan said.
“Overall, throughout ... investigating this group, we’ve seized approximately 630kg of methamphetamine valued at approximately $220 million in retail terms, and 112kg of cocaine.
“This week saw the fifth phase termination, and this was directed predominantly at the facilitators of this criminal group. This included eight persons from the 28 Brotherhood MC gang, including their president. They have all been arrested and charged with facilitating a large amount of drugs and are facing significant charges.”
Gollan said that had the drugs been distributed around the country, they would have caused “significant misery” to vulnerable communities.
He thanked the agencies that had worked with police, such as Homeland Security in the United States and Customs in New Zealand.
New Zealand Customs Service manager of investigations Dominic Adams said the operation has “successfully dismantled a key arm of a major transnational organised crime syndicate”.
“Intelligence revealed that these criminal groups were actively exploiting trusted border workers with access to the airport supply chain,” Adams said.
”The syndicate employed the rip-on rip-off method, a tactic commonly used internationally by placing unaccompanied baggage on inbound flights, primarily through Auckland, for compromised workers to retrieve.
“This technique was deployed across multiple global supply routes, including flights from Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Santiago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York.”
A number of gangs are alleged to be involved, including Headhunters, 28 Brotherhood MC and the Comancheros.
Adams said this operation represents one of the most significant breakthroughs against transnational crime in New Zealand in recent years.
He said the criminal networks actively look for people in particular parts of the supply chain and use all sorts of ways to exploit them.
“And by exploitation, that can be inducements with money, and that’s most often the case, or trying to convince them to do things that they wouldn’t otherwise do. And it’s really sad that people are exploited like that.”
Gollan said that as the investigation progressed, more corrupt baggage handlers were identified.
“But what we really focused on is not just the baggage handlers and them being corrupted. We’re focusing on the people that actually do the corrupting. So we’re talking about, you know, our local gangs and ... overseas networks,” Gollan said.
“Overall, Matata has seen 43 arrests made since February. Twenty of those arrests were baggage handlers that were employed by baggage handling companies at the Auckland Airport.
“Obviously, the major profits that can be made in New Zealand are very attractive to overseas syndicates. And, we’re seizing shoe boxes at baggage handlers’ addresses that are filled with $200,000 in cash and that kind of thing. So, that’s some of the type of money that these poor boys are getting corrupted with.”
Police and Customs have been looking into the problem since about 2021, when it was first identified through Operation Selena, Gollan added.
It comes after, earlier this year, police arrested and charged 15 current and former baggage handlers employed by airline baggage-handling agencies at Auckland International Airport.
A further nine people were facing serious criminal and drug charges.
A total of 631kg of methamphetamine and 112kg of cocaine were seized by customs while working alongside United States authorities.
Gollan, of the National Organised Crime Group, said this would have equated to roughly six doses of methamphetamine for every New Zealander.
Gollan said Operation Matata began on March 20 this year when a man was arrested in East Tāmaki and 25kg of meth was found in his vehicle.
The subsequent investigation uncovered “a wider group organising and facilitating controlled drugs being smuggled through Auckland Airport”.
Gollan said the flights carrying the allegedly smuggled drugs came from Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Santiago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York.
“Police will allege the group’s operation involved placing unaccompanied bags on international flights, which were then covertly removed on arrival in Auckland by corrupt baggage handlers to avoid security protocols.
“Make no mistake, this investigation has exposed and disrupted a significant threat to New Zealand.”
One seizure turned up 50kg of meth allegedly smuggled on a flight from Malaysia on June 18.
“The man’s attempts were thwarted by a swift and co-ordinated response from police, Customs and other agencies.”
“It will be alleged one of the arrested individuals gained unauthorised airside access at Auckland International Airport and was observed piloting a baggage cart towards the aircraft.”
Gollan said criminal syndicates brought misery to communities across New Zealand.
“This is particularly the case with methamphetamine, and these organised crime groups are intent on feeding the addiction of our people in vulnerable communities, which saw meth consumption double in July last year.”
Adams said New Zealand’s volume of legitimate trade and travel meant the risk of criminal infiltration was “very real”.
“In tandem with the police and our international partners and industry stakeholders, Customs is continuing to protect communities from the organised criminal groups who are attempting to exploit our international supply chains.”