Nine people have been arrested in a major crackdown on the importation, supply and sale of cocaine in New Zealand.
Detective Superintendent Greg Williams, National Organised Crime Group director, said about 50kg of the drug had been seized in the country and at overseas ports as part of Operation Mist.
Operation Mist was a 10-month long operation between the police and Customs, with the assistance of the DEA and Colombian police, he said.
Six search warrants had been carried out in Canterbury on Wednesday, leading to a number of arrests.
Three search warrants in Auckland were also executed.
Items seized included $300,000 in cash, three ounces of cocaine, and a number of crypto wallets.
One contained $700,000.
It is believed those arrested also laundered at least $600,000.
Those arrested include six Colombian nationals and one Argentinian national.
Two alleged offenders have already appeared in court, with the remaining seven expected to appear on Thursday.
More warrants and arrests were expected over the following days, Williams said.
“In our view, this operation has dealt a massive blow to this particular organised crime group and to the supply of cocaine into New Zealand.”
He described the group as “significant” and “well-oiled” in terms of its ability to get the drugs, set up distribution networks — which were largely focused on the Auckland area — and get the profits out of the country quickly.
However, Williams message to those trying to do the same was: “don’t bother coming.
“We’ll identify your people, we’ll identify and break and disrupt your networks, we will go after your assets, whether here or offshore, and where necessary we’re quite prepared to expedite people back here who are involved in this offending and we will work with international partners to also hold people accountable back in other countries who are involved in this process.”
Customs’ Bruce Berry, service manager intelligence, said it had stopped 1.5 tonnes of illicit drugs arriving into the country in 2020.
To date this year, about 1.8 tonnes had been stopped.
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