Grenade alert at Whangārei port revealed to be harmless toy, NZDF says

Brodie Stone

Multimedia Journalist·Northern Advocate·

8 Jul, 2026 11:17 PMQuick Read

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The New Zealand Defence Force says an item found aboard a ship in Whangārei turned out to be a toy hand grenade. Photo / 123RF

A grenade found aboard a ship at Whangārei’s Port Rd earlier this week turned out to be a toy, the New Zealand Defence Force says.

A spokesperson said the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team responded to a request from police after an “item of concern” was discovered on Tuesday.

“The item was investigated and determined to be a toy hand grenade.”

The spokesperson said anyone who discovered a potentially dangerous item should always be cautious until the item was deemed safe by an expert.

“If you do discover something that might be dangerous, remain clear of the item and contact New Zealand Police as soon as possible.”