New Zealand authorities have found a record amount of cocaine floating in international waters, which they say is bound for Australia and would be enough to supply the country for 30 years.
The 3.2 ton cargo was valued at US$315 million (approximately R$1.7 billion at current prices). It was the biggest seizure of illicit drugs by police in New Zealand “by a wide margin”, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster told a news conference in Wellington on Wednesday.
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A joint operation between New Zealand police, defense and customs officials led to the discovery of cocaine in the Pacific Ocean, where 81 bales of the drug were floating in nets in international waters six days sailing northeast of New Zealand, the director said. do said the national police organized crime group, Greg Williams.
The amount of the drug was enough to supply New Zealand for 30 years, which made it clear that there was “no way” it would be destined for that country, Williams said.
“New Zealand is not a cocaine market,” he said. “We are tiny compared to Australia.”
The cocaine was found earlier this month and arrived on Tuesday by ship under police escort to Auckland, where it will be destroyed.
No arrests were made.
Williams said the drug smugglers’ strategy – leaving packaged drugs in international waters to be picked up by other vessels – was widely employed.
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