![\"Firearms](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/firearms-found-during-operation-mexted-source-nz-police-VAKCVGND5RH2LEGM7KQICYGSUI.png\")
<\/p>\nEleven people have been arrested and a cache of firearms and drugs have been seized in a police crackdown this week on an alleged international drug-smuggling ring across Auckland and Waikato. <\/p>\n
The arrests follow Operation Mexted, a joint five-month investigation by the National Organised Crime Group and New Zealand Customs into an alleged transnational organised criminal cell involved in the smuggling of controlled drugs into the country.<\/p>\n
Three US nationals were among those arrested.<\/p>\n
The operation netted five firearms, $915,335 in cash, 791g of methamphetamine, 18g of cocaine, and 54g of cannabis.<\/p>\n
The first phase of the operation began in late June when police carried out a search warrant at an Airbnb in Auckland’s M\u0101ngere Bridge.<\/p>\n
During the search, officers found four glocks and a submachine gun located inside a suitcase in an upstairs bedroom, Acting Detective Inspector Jason Hunt said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Firearms found during Operation Mexted. (Source: NZ Police) (Source: Supplied)<\/p>\n
It was followed by a second phase of arrests after police searched four properties in Pakuranga, \u014ctara, Blockhouse Bay and Papatoetoe.<\/p>\n
“As a result, four people were charged in relation to a number of methamphetamine importations, as well as possession for supply of 750 grams of methamphetamine,” he said. <\/p>\n
The third phase began on September 8 when officers searched an address in Mt Wellington. A man was arrested after police discovered 41 grams of methamphetamine and $77,000. It was followed by the arrest of a man suspected of money laundering after more than $800,000 was found in an apartment on Auckland’s North Shore.<\/p>\n
![\"Money](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/money-seized-during-operation-mexted-source-nz-police-7WTBZFNWUBA5VLTZHLTQYMSXQI.png\")
<\/p>\n
Money seized during Operation Mexted. (Source: NZ Police) (Source: Supplied)<\/p>\n
Yesterday, a further seven people were arrested after police and Customs investigators descended on 10 properties across the Auckland and Waikato regions.<\/p>\n
“We are continuing to focus our efforts on these syndicates establishing themselves for financial greed while preying on vulnerable communities,” Hunt said. <\/p>\n
“Police will continue to act, alongside Customs and our other law enforcement partners, to shut down this organised criminal offending taking place across different parts of the country.”<\/p>\n
Police said the cell was the 29th to be shut down in New Zealand since 2016.<\/p>\n
‘900,000 doses of methamphetamine off our streets’<\/p>\n
Acting Customs Investigations Manager Simon Peterson said the government department alerted police after identifying the syndicate’s alleged attempts to exploit New Zealand’s border. <\/p>\n
“Customs identified the suspects smuggling cannabis plants and resin into the country, tracking their smuggling activities throughout and gathering evidence,” he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe offenders now face charges for the importation of 18 kilograms of methamphetamine, as well importation charges for cannabis.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis joint investigation with our Police partners has disrupted this criminal group and kept 900,000 doses of methamphetamine off our streets.”<\/p>\n
Ten men \u2013 aged between 23 and 39 \u2013 and a 33-year-old woman have appeared in the Manukau District Court on combined charges for multiple drug- and border-related offences.<\/p>\n
The charges include unlawful possession of firearms, importation of methamphetamine, possession for supply methamphetamine, importation of cannabis resin (class b), and importation of cannabis plant (class c).<\/p>\n
The group have also been charged with participating in an organised criminal group (material benefits) and participating in an organised criminal group (violence).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Eleven people have been arrested and a cache of firearms and drugs have been seized in a police…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":31129,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[51,67,9001,111,43,139,69],"class_list":{"0":"post-31128","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-zealand","8":"tag-auckland","9":"tag-crime-and-justice","10":"tag-hamilton-waikato","11":"tag-new-zealand","12":"tag-news","13":"tag-newzealand","14":"tag-nz"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31128","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31128"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31128\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31129"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31128"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31128"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31128"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}