- More than half a tonne of methamphetamine concealed in steel beams was seized earlier this month in what police called New Zealand’s “second largest” importation of the drug.
Five men were arrested in relation to the bust.
Earlier this month, Customs uncovered the 515kg of methamphetamine hidden inside “hefty steel beams” after being sent from the United States.
The items were x-rayed and examined by customs officers after “inconsistencies” with some of the beams were noticed. This led to the discovery of a large amount of methamphetamine.
Detective Inspector Colin Parmenter estimated that the shipment would have produced 25.7 million doses of the drug.
Customs and police identified several people allegedly responsible for the shipment and executed several warrants across Auckland and Waikato.
Two men, visiting from Australia, were arrested at a rural Waikato property on October 4, allegedly in the process of deconstructing the beams.
In total, five men aged between 31 and 51 were arrested in connection with the shipment.
One appeared in the Auckland District Court on Friday, facing charges related to the importation and supply of methamphetamine.
Another was charged with unlawful possession of firearms after a military-style semi-automatic rifle was found.
The two men arrested in Waikato were New Zealand passport holders who lived in Australia.
“Investigations will continue, and further arrests cannot be ruled out,” police said
Parmenter called the bust a “significant disruption” to the wider drug market operating in New Zealand.
“The significant amount seized in this operation is another demonstration of the Police and Customs partnership and commitment to the disruption and dismantling of transnational organised drug networks,” he said.
“The organised criminal groups looking to profit from this type of offending will continue to be a key focus of our attention and resources.”
Customs’ group manager intelligence, investigations and enforcement, Terry Brown said the arrests an seizure prevented more than $570 million in social harm.
“The method and scale of this smuggling operation clearly illustrate the amount of efforts organised crime groups are willing to go to, but our seizure and the arrests Police have made equally show the skill and determination investigations and enforcement teams will apply to detect, disrupt and dismantle these criminal efforts,” Brown said.
