Customs NZ says the drugs were hidden in a refrigerated container carrying legitimate goods from Balboa, Panama. Photo / Customs NZ
Customs NZ says the drugs were hidden in a refrigerated container carrying legitimate goods from Balboa, Panama. Photo / Customs NZ
Customs officers have recently seized 48kg of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $16.8 million, from a refrigerated container at the Port of Tauranga.
The drugs were hidden within the insulated lining in the roof of a refrigerated container carrying legitimate goods from Balboa, Panama.
Unlike the“rip-on, rip-off” method where drugs are concealed inside the container, these drugs were hidden between the inner ceiling and the top of the container in the insulated roof lining.
Customs maritime group manager Paul Campbell said increasingly complex concealment methods are being used by transnational and serious organised criminal groups to hide drugs.
Unlike the “rip-on, rip-off” method where drugs are concealed inside the container, these drugs were hidden between the inner ceiling and the top of the container in the insulated roof lining. Photo / Customs NZ
“This method of concealment signals the lengths crime groups are going to in attempting to move drugs through the supply chain.
“It reflects a deliberate effort to exploit commercial pathways and reinforces that while we are making it harder for them, we must constantly evolve how we detect and disrupt these threats.”
About 48kg of cocaine was found inside a shipping container at the Port of Tauranga. Photo / Customs NZ
Campbell said this result demonstrates the skill and commitment of Customs officers, whose rigorous and ongoing training together with supporting technology enables them to identify complex concealments of drugs.
“Customs will continue to apply sustained pressure at the maritime border and is committed to making New Zealand’s seaports a hostile environment for criminal networks.”
Customs urges industry workers and the public to remain vigilant and play a part in stopping organised crime.
Suspicions about potential drug smuggling can be reported confidentially to 0800 WE PROTECT (0800 937 768) or anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
Cocaine use in NZ
Until relatively recently, cocaine was something of a rarity in New Zealand, said Massey University Professor Chris Wilkins, leader of the drug research team at Shore & Whariki Research Centre.
“In those times that you most associate with cocaine in the 80s and 90s, New Zealand really didn’t have almost any cocaine,” he said.
But things have changed and a global glut has led to a surge in demand in New Zealand.
The latest wastewater figures were collected between October and December last year, and testing sites cover up to 77% of Aotearoa’s total population.
While cocaine use is lower overall than methamphetamine or cannabis, it’s the size of the rise that has drawn attention.
Cocaine nearly doubled in a year, rising to an estimated 9.4kg of use per week – 98%, or 4.7kg, above the average amount consumed in the previous four quarters, according to the figures.
“We are seen as a lucrative albeit small market” for cocaine dealers, New Zealand Drug Foundation executive director Sarah Helm said.
NZ Police Assistant Commissioner Corrie Parnell told RNZ in April there’s a “strong demand” for cocaine.
The New Zealand Drug Trends Survey is an anonymous online survey of 8883 people conducted in 2025 and designed to provide an annual snapshot of drug market trends. It’s not a representative sample but is described as “broadly representing the demographic profile and regional population distribution” of New Zealand.
