| Customs officers seized an estimated 21 kilograms of cocaine, worth an estimated street value of up to NZ$7.3 million, from a shipping container at the Port of Tauranga.
The container, which arrived from Balboa, Panama on Friday 2 October 2025 was risk-assessed as part of standard procedures for all incoming cargo and vessels.
During x-ray screening, anomalies were identified in the imagery, which led to a physical inspection of the container. Inside the container, amongst legitimate goods, Customs officers located a shrink-wrapped duffel bag inside with 21 bricks of cocaine branded with 'VESPA' and a 'mouse' logo and wrapped in fragile tape. |