---
title: "New Zealand recovers $300m of cocaine floating at sea"
description: "SYDNEY, Feb 8 (Reuters) - New Zealand authorities said on Wednesday they had recovered 3.2 tonnes of cocaine worth more than $300m, believed to be bound for Australia and found floating at sea."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-02-08-new-zealand-recovers-300-mln-of-cocaine-floating-at-sea/"
published: "2023-02-08T04:47:49"
updated: "2023-02-08T05:31:29"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 142
---

# New Zealand recovers $300m of cocaine floating at sea

> SYDNEY, Feb 8 (Reuters) - New Zealand authorities said on Wednesday they had recovered 3.2 tonnes of cocaine worth more than $300m, believed to be bound for Australia and found floating at sea.

By Reuters · Published 8 February 2023, 06:47 SAST · Updated 8 February 2023, 07:31 SAST

## Key points
- New Zealand Police have seized $320 million worth of illegal drugs in a joint operation with the New Zealand Customs Service and the New Zealand Defence Force. The haul was found in a net supported by floats on the ocean surface. No arrests have been made yet, but Police Commissioner Andrew Coster has cautioned that they remain vigilant as criminal groups often try to avoid law enforcement attention. Acting Controller Bill Perry of the New Zealand Customs Service estimated the drug seizure to be worth NZ$500 million.
- NZ Police, Customs Service and Defence Force seize NZ$500 million in illegal drugs from Pacific Ocean.
- No arrests yet made.
- Police Commissioner Andrew Coster: “This is one of the single biggest seizures of illegal drugs by authorities in this country”.
- Bill Perry, New Zealand Customs Service Acting Controller: “We remain vigilant given the lengths we know these groups will go to circumvent coming to law enforcement's attention."

## Content

New Zealand Police said it a statement it had collected the drugs from the Pacific Ocean in a joint operation with the New Zealand Customs Service and the New Zealand Defence Force.

A police photo showed the haul, apparently before recovery, in a net supported on the ocean surface by floats.

No arrests have yet been made.

"This is one of the single biggest seizures of illegal drugs by authorities in this country," Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said in a statement.

"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 seizure has a value of NZ$500 million ($320 million), according to New Zealand Customs Service Acting Controller Bill Perry.

($1 = 1.5815 New Zealand dollars)

(Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Bradley Perrett)