Cocaine seizure in Auckland thought to be largest ever at a NZ airport

What is believed to be the largest ever seizure of cocaine at a New Zealand airport was made by Customs at Auckland International Airport over the weekend. Customs seized an estimated 101kg of cocaine after officers identified a number of bags arriving on the Hawaiian Airlines flight on Saturday night. Once they opened the bags, officers found 85 bricks of a substance that had been wrapped in black film and clear plastic wrapping. Initial testing indicated it was cocaine with investigations still ongoing. This amount of cocaine would have had a street value of up to $35.4m, Customs said. “Customs officers are highly trained and cognisant of how transnational organised criminal groups operate,” Group Manager Border Operations Dana McDonald said. “We work hard to stop the supply of illegal drugs, with an aim to hit criminal profits, reduce the ability to cultivate user demand, and disrupt their goal to exploit New Zealand communities. While this seizure is a fantastic result that has stopped a significant amount of drugs from reaching and harming our communities, what is of Customs concern is that seizures at Auckland Airport have increased steadily in recent years. We have adapted accordingly to this threat.”<br/>