Two foreign nationals have been arrested in Dunedin and charged with serious drug trafficking crimes.
The men, aged 31 and 45, were arrested on Saturday while allegedly attempting to take drugs off a ship docked at Port Chalmers, Dunedin.
Both men appeared at the Dunedin District Court today facing serious charges that relate to the importing of cocaine to New Zealand. The men remain in custody.
The arrests come after the seizure of 91kgs of cocaine in the US. Since then the police have been investigating an international criminal syndicate's alleged involvement in the importing of Class A drugs into New Zealand.
The arrests were made as a part of Operation Port with the police cracking down on international drug smuggling into the country.
"The identification and arrest of the two men clearly illustrate the cooperation and strong partnerships we have with our international partners in targeting criminal activity at our borders and in the community, and making New Zealand a hard target for organised crime to operate," a police spokesperson said.
Detective Inspector Albie Alexander said "Operation Port is another example of New Zealand Police and Customs’ commitment to disrupting and dismantling organised drug networks operating in this country and reducing drug harm in our communities."
Customs Investigations Manager Cam Moore said Customs was committed to assisting police in action to stop criminal operations and the proceeds of crime at any opportunity.
Operation Port is ongoing and police have said they cannot rule out further arrests.
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