Ten people have been arrested and large quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine and cash have been seized in a joint police and customs operation.
Police seized nearly half a kilogram of methamphetamine and approximately $455,000 in cash at various properties in Waikato and Wellington on Wednesday.
Seven men and three women, between the ages of 25 and 57, are expected to appear in Wellington District Court on Thursday.
They are facing a range of charges, including importing, possessing and supplying Class A controlled drugs.
Police said the search warrants were executed following a series of seizures at the border where customs officers intercepted a kilogram of cocaine and a further six kilograms of methamphetamine.
Detective Superintendent Greg Williams said the arrests marked the end of Operation Bali, which aimed to disrupt organised crime groups with links overseas.
“This should serve as a warning to criminals everywhere who are attempting to bring drugs into New Zealand that they will be detected and they will be held accountable,” he said.
Customs spokesperson Dana McDonald praised the “vigilance and diligence” of staff.
“By combining our intelligence with Police, we were able to uncover a wider ring of opportunist drug smugglers and dismantle their attempts to exploit our communities for a profit.”
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