Last month we terminated Operation Abseil. This was a joint Police and NZ Customs operation, where we arrested seven people in connection to the importation of an estimated 250kg of methamphetamine from Hong Kong.
NZ Customs identified methamphetamine in a container and following a joint investigation, Police identified a number of Chinese nationals who are alleged to have travelled to NZ to process the methamphetamine.
Once again our organised crime staff, together with NZ Customs, were able to keep methamphetamine from reaching our community, and from causing significant social harm.
I would also like to congratulate the staff who worked on the recent interception of $20 million of cocaine in Tauranga.
Working with NZ Customs, a five month long investigation has led to the arrest of four foreign nationals after an estimated 46 kilograms of cocaine was seized from an address in Tauranga earlier this week.
This is the largest single seizure of cocaine in New Zealand.
During the course of the inquiry evidence has also been uncovered of a sophisticated money laundering operation sending hundreds of thousands of dollars out of New Zealand through international criminal money remitters.
I’m confident we will see further arrests as this investigation continues.
Police have a relentless focus on targeting organised crime groups and this operation highlights the great work underway by our people working with NZ Customs, one of our key partners.
New Minister meets the troops
Yesterday our staff welcomed the new Minister of Police, Hon Stuart Nash to Auckland, in his first series of District visits in his new capacity as our Minister.
While in Auckland, Minister Nash visited Counties Manukau and Auckland City districts where he met with a range of staff across a number of different policing groups, including family violence, organised crime and the Specialist Tactics Group.
As always, stay safe.
Ngā manaakitanga
Mike Bush MNZM
Commissioner of Police
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