New Zealand officials seize half a billion dollars worth of cocaine

Officials in New Zealand announced this week that they have completed a massive seizure of cocaine at sea, calling it a “major financial blow” to producers and dealers of the drug.

Authorities there said on Wednesday that the seizure was part of “Operation Hydrros,” in which New Zealand police were working with both the New Zealand Customs Service and the New Zealand Defense Force.

The announcement said that “no arrests have been made at this time” but that “investigations into the shipment continue, including liaison with our international partners.”

Members of these units intercepted “3.2 tons of cocaine in the water” in the Pacific Ocean. New Zealand Customs Acting Comptroller Bill Perry said that “the sheer scale of this seizure is estimated to have eliminated more than half a billion dollars worth of cocaine”.

(The United Press International news agency described the seizure as “3.5 tons of cocaine shipment with a street value of $317 million in a major anti-drug operation in the middle of the Pacific.”)

Courtesy of New Zealand Police

“Customs are delighted to have helped prevent such a large quantity of cocaine from harming communities here in New Zealand, Australia and elsewhere in the Pacific Rim,” Perry said. “It is a great example of just how far organized crime will go in their global drug trafficking operations and shows that we are not exempt from the major organized criminal drug smuggling efforts in this part of the world.”

New Zealand Police Commissioner Andrew Coster called it “one of the largest seizures of illegal drugs by authorities in this country”.

“There is no doubt that this discovery represents a serious financial hit from the South American manufacturers right through to the retailers of this product,” said Coster.

Coster added, “While this is disrupting the Syndicate’s operations, we remain vigilant given the efforts we know these groups will make to evade law enforcement attention.”

Authorities said in Wednesday’s announcement that “eighty-one bales of product have since made the six-day voyage back to New Zealand aboard the Royal New Zealand Navy vessel HMNZS Manawanui, where they are now being destroyed.”

It is believed that “given the size of the shipment, will likely have been destined for the Australian market,” the announcement said.

Coster said Operation Hyrdos “was launched in December 2022 as part of our ongoing close collaboration with international partner agencies to identify and monitor suspicious vessel movements.”

Some of the drug packages had four-leaf clovers or stickers identifying Batman. Courtesy of New Zealand Police

“I am incredibly proud of what our National Organized Crime Group has achieved in collaboration with other New Zealand authorities including the New Zealand Customs Service and the New Zealand Defense Force. The importance of this recovery and its impact cannot be underestimated,” said Coster.

“We know that the distribution of illicit drugs causes major social harm, as well as negative health and financial impacts on communities, particularly drug users and their families,” Coster added.

The announcement said Coster noted that “the operation continues the already successful work New Zealand authorities are doing working together and continues to reduce the impact of cross-border crime worldwide.”

The commander of the New Zealand Defense Force Joint Forces, Rear Admiral Jim Gilmour, said his unit had “the right people and the right skills to provide the support required and it was great to work with NZ Police and NZ Customs Service “.

“We were very pleased with the outcome and are delighted to be a part of this successful operation and proud to be doing our part to protect New Zealand,” Gilmour said.