Authorities in New Zealand have discovered 3.2 tonnes of cocaine drifting in the Pacific Ocean that was likely headed for Australia and has a market value of more than $300 million.
The haul of 81 bales, according to the police, was recovered in a joint operation between the New Zealand Customs Service and Defence Force acting on intelligence from the Five Eyes alliance, which also includes Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The haul was drifting hundreds of kilometers northwest of New Zealand.
“This is the largest find of illicit drugs by New Zealand’s agencies by some margin,” said Commissioner of New Zealand Police Andrew Coster.
The drugs were allegedly dropped at a “floating transit point” in the Pacific Ocean, where they would have been picked up and transported to Australia, according to officials.
“We believe it was destined for Australia, where it would have been enough to service the market for one year. It is more than New Zealand would use in 30 years”, Coster said.
The enormous haul was confined by netting and draped in yellow floats. The bales of cocaine within some of the bales were labeled with what appeared to be a four-leaf clover print, and others of the bales had the Batman emblem on them.
The bust, according to Coster, was a “huge result” for Australian and New Zealand police.
“There is no doubt this discovery lands a major financial blow right from the South American producers through to the distributors of this product,” he added.
Officials said it was too early to say where the drugs came from adding that no arrests have been made so far.
Author-Roberta Appiah
