New Zealand Police Find 3.5 Tons Of Cocaine In Pacific Ocean, Drugs Likely Destined For Australia

New Zealand Police Find 3.5 Tons Of Cocaine In Pacific Ocean, Drugs Likely Destined For Australia

New Zealand police said Wednesday they found more than 3 tons of cocaine, the nation’s largest-ever drug seizure, floating in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean after it was dropped there by an international drug-smuggling syndicate.

New Zealand Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said the cocaine had been dropped at a floating transit point in 81 bales before it was intercepted by a navy ship, which was deployed to the area last week. The ship then made the six-day trip back to New Zealand, where the drugs were being documented and destroyed.

“ENOUGH FOR ONE YEAR IN AUSTRALIA, 30 YEARS IN NEW ZEALAND”
Mr. Coster said the wholesale value of the 3.2 tonnes (3.5 tons) of cocaine was worth about 500 million New Zealand dollars that is US $316 million and it was likely destined for Australia.

We believe there was enough cocaine to service the Australian market for about one year, and this would be more than New Zealand would use in 30 years, Coster said.

Bill Perry, the acting comptroller of the New Zealand Customs Service, said the haul illustrated the lengths that organized syndicates were going to in order to smuggle drugs in the South Pacific.

Mr. Perry called the occurrance a test of the trafficking route by mafia.