Auckland Police say five duffle bags stacked with bricks of the illegal drug cocaine valued at close to $30 million have been unpacked at a Mt Wellington business.
Yesterday Wednesday afternoon, police officers were called to the Carbine Road premises after a worker unloading a shipping container of building materials located the bags.
Detective senior sergeant Anthony Darvill, of Auckland City Police CIB, says more than 75 packages of cocaine wrapped in cellophane were located in the duffle bags.
“An investigation between police and Customs is now under way following yesterday’s seizure.
“The joint investigation will focus on the movements of the container and its eventual destination,” says Darvill.
“What we do know is that the container transited through Central America in late March on its way to New Zealand.
“Cocaine is a highly addictive drug and causes a concerning level of harm in our communities.
“This is a significant find and will put a noticeable dent in the availability of this illegal drug in the district and the harm caused by it.”
Customs’ acting investigations manager, Rachael Manning, says: “Customs is committed to working in collaboration with police to play our part in preventing drugs from reaching our communities, where they cause significant social harm.
“We will continue to provide intelligence and investigative support to our police partners to identify and hold those responsible to account.”
No arrests have been made and at this stage, police say, and they’re not releasing any further details as investigations remain ongoing.
- If people have any information that may assist police in identifying and locating those involved in the supply of drugs or organised criminal groups, they can report information to them via 105 if it’s after the fact or 111 if it’s happening now. Alternatively, reports can be made anonymously via Crime Stoppers on free phone 0800 555 111.
