In a big story out of New Zealand, authorities found 3.5 tons of cocaine floating in the Pacific Ocean. According to the police, the seizure is the biggest in the country’s history.
Police in New Zealand Seize 3.5 Tons of Coke Labeled with Batman Logos and Four-Leaf Clovers in the Pacific Ocean – “Three Decades Worth” of Cocaine for NZ
NZ authorities and customs regularly watch the sea trade routes around the country because of increased drug smuggling efforts throughout the Pacific. Australia is the primary destination in the Oceania region but often times smugglers drop their product in the vicinity of NZ and Tasmania for their partners to scoop it up.
The thing about this seizure is that it was part of an investigation called Operation Hydros which started in December 2022. NZ authorities said that a South American drug cartel was the target of the investigation.
When police snagged the dope, they noticed that there 81 packages tier together in a netting and buoy system. Inside was a GPS tracker for smugglers to find the load’s exact location. It was then released into the Pacific Ocean where the suppliers’ partners would retrieve the load and distribute it in Australia. The packages feature distinct stickers of the Batman bat-signal and black four-leaf clovers.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said of the landmark seizure:
“There is no doubt this discovery lands a major financial blow, right from the South American producers through to the distributors of this product. This is one of the single biggest seizures of illegal drugs by authorities in this country. While this disrupts the syndicate’s operations, we remain vigilant given the lengths we know these groups will go to circumvent coming to law enforcement’s attention.”
The cocaine was said to have been enough to supply Australia for a year and New Zealand for the next three decades.
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