{"id":62129,"date":"2025-10-06T14:31:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-06T14:31:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/62129\/"},"modified":"2025-10-06T14:31:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T14:31:11","slug":"sunlive-cocaine-bust-21kg-seized-at-port-of-tauranga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/62129\/","title":{"rendered":"SunLive – Cocaine bust: 21kg seized at Port of Tauranga"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n <\/p>\n

A duffle bag containing 21 bricks of cocaine, worth an estimated $7.3 million, has been seized from a shipping container at the Port of Tauranga.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

A Customs statement said the container arrived from Balboa, Panama on Friday and was risk-assessed as part of normal procedures for incoming cargo and vessels.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

X-ray screening sparked suspicions that led to a physical inspection of the container.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Inside the container, among legitimate goods, Customs officers found a shrink-wrapped duffel bag with 21 bricks of the Class-A drug, branded with \u201cVESPA\u201d and a \u201cmouse logo\u201d and wrapped in \u201cfragile\u201d tape.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The 21kg haul had an estimated New Zealand street value of $7.3m.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It is the latest in a series of cocaine busts in containers at New Zealand\u2019s biggest port.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Customs\u00a0seized 150kg of cocaine<\/a>, estimated to be worth $58.2m, from a container originating in Jamaica at the port in July.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Another 130kg, worth up to $50.44m, was seized at the port in May, and\u00a0157kg of cocaine worth $60.9m<\/a>\u00a0four weeks before that.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Customs group manager maritime Paul Campbell said this year alone, Customs had intercepted more than 430km of cocaine in Tauranga.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

This was \u201cnearly double the amount seized at the port in 2024\u2033.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Campbell said Customs had an intelligence-led, multi-layered strategy to safeguarding New Zealand\u2019s borders.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cTransnational, serious, and organised crime groups continue to exploit legitimate trade routes, causing delays and disruptions across the supply chain.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Customs was aware of the impact this had on businesses, and Campbell said its role was twofold: \u201cTo facilitate legitimate trade while actively dismantling criminal networks\u201d.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Each interception strengthened its intelligence capabilities.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a strong grasp of how these groups operate and where they plan to strike, reflected in our growing seizure statistics.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime\u2019s annual World Drug Report in June\u00a0said cocaine-related deaths were rising in many countries, the\u00a0New York Times\u00a0reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The report said cocaine use has been linked to heart disease, aggressive driving behaviour and long-term developmental issues in babies when used during pregnancy.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

An estimated 25 million people used cocaine worldwide in 2023 \u2013 up from 17 million a decade earlier. Production in 2023 jumped by 34% from 2022, the report said.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Suspicions about drug smuggling can be reported confidentially to 0800 WE PROTECT (0800 937 768) or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.<\/p>\n

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