With police seizing $20 million worth of cocaine in Tauranga last week, there are fears drug cartels are targeting New Zealand as a prime place to deal the class A drug.
The value of cocaine is higher here than almost anywhere in the world, with customs saying the 46 kilogram seizure from the Maersk Antares ship indicates a change in the tides.
"This attempt was an effort to try and expand that market, last year obviously working with police we seized 35 kilos of cocaine so this is a new phenomenon that's affecting New Zealand," Customs Officer Jamie Bamford said.
This year, only five kilos had been seized until the Antares arrived.
The ship travelled from Colombia, Peru and Chile, a route exploited by cartels.
The global average price for a gram of cocaine is about $130, but in New Zealand it's over two and a half times that, the only country where it's more expensive is Australia.
Police believe the high-payoff is why cartels are risking bigger shipments here, meaning they will need to be as vigilant as ever going forward.
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