New Zealand police seize 250kg of cocaine worth $80m in joint customs operation

New Zealand Police and the New Zealand Customs Service have completed a joint operation, designated Operation Toucan, resulting in the seizure of 250 kilograms of cocaine and the arrest of five men. The operation, which targeted a shipping container originating from Brazil, concluded with the detention of individuals in Auckland and the recovery of high-powered firearms. The seized drug is estimated by authorities to have a street value of $80 million. The investigation began with an intelligence tip-off received from international partners before the vessel reached New Zealand waters. According to Detective Inspector Tom Gollan, the cocaine was concealed within 10 duffel bags hidden inside a legitimate cargo consignment in a shipping container. The container entered the country through the Port of Tauranga, where Customs officers identified the hidden substance. Following detection, the container was transported to Auckland under continuous surveillance by authorities. In the early hours of Thursday, police arrested three men as they allegedly attempted to remove the cocaine from the container and transfer it to a van. A fourth man, identified as a lookout, was arrested in the vicinity. Subsequently, police executed six search warrants across Auckland, leading to the arrest of a fifth man and the seizure of four high-powered firearms at one address.