Huge cocaine cache discovered in New Zealand waters.

Published: 10:22am, 8 Feb, 2023
More than 3 tonnes of cocaine were found floating in the ocean off New Zealand. The $316 million US haul had been dropped at a transit point in international waters, six days sailing north-east of the Pacific nation.  Police believe it was bound for Australia and said it was equivalent to 30 years’ of supply in New Zealand.

New Zealand police shared a photo showing the haul, apparently before recovery, in a net supported on the ocean surface by floats.
New Zealand authorities said on Wednesday they had recovered 3.2 tonnes of cocaine worth more than US$300 million, believed to be bound for Australia and found floating at sea.

The cocaine had been dropped at a transit point in international waters, six days sailing north-east of New Zealand.A police photo showed the haul, apparently before recovery, in a net supported on the ocean surface by floats.

No arrests have yet been made and police said they were working with international partners to further their enquiries.

“This is one of the single biggest seizures of illegal drugs by authorities in this country,” Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said in a statement.

“While this disrupts the syndicate’s operations, we remain vigilant given the lengths we know these groups will go to circumvent coming to law enforcement’s attention.”

The haul was equivalent to 30 years’ of supply in New Zealand and a years’ worth of supply in Australia, according to Coster.

New Zealand Customs Service Acting Controller Bill Perry said the drugs have a value of NZ$500 million (US$316 million).
The sheer scale of this seizure is estimated to have taken more than half a billion [New Zealand] dollars’ worth of cocaine out of circulation Bill Perry,New
“The sheer scale of this seizure is estimated to have taken more than half a billion [New Zealand] dollars’ worth of cocaine out of circulation,” he said.

“It is a huge illustration of what lengths organised crime will go to with their global drug trafficking operations and shows that we are not exempt from major organised criminal drug smuggling efforts in this part of the world.”

New Zealand’s previous largest-ever drug bust was in 2022 when 613 kilograms of methamphetamine were seized.
https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3209448/more-3-tonnes-cocaine-found-floating-ocean-new-zealand#Echobox=1675826361

New Zealand police shared a photo showing the haul, apparently before recovery, in a net supported on the ocean surface by floats.

Who is the "syndicate"? Chi-coms?