Authorities in New Zealand announced on Wednesday that they had discovered 3.2 tonnes of cocaine floating at sea that was thought to be headed for Australia and was worth more than $300 million.
In a collaborative operation with the New Zealand Customs Service and the New Zealand Defence Force, the New Zealand Police claimed to have recovered the drugs from the Pacific Ocean.
A police photo shows the catch in a net supported on the ocean’s surface by floats, possibly before recovery. There have not yet been any arrests.
In a statement, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said that this was one of the largest seizures of illegal substances ever made by government officials in the nation.
He added that while this interferes with the syndicate’s operations, the police would be cautious given the lengths they know these groups will take to avoid coming to law enforcement’s attention.
According to Bill Perry, the Acting Controller for the New Zealand Customs Service, the amount of the seizure is $500 million ($320 million).
