Five duffle bags stacked with bricks of cocaine valued at close to $30 million have been unpacked at a Mount Wellington business.
Yesterday afternoon Police were called to the Carbine Road premises after a worker unloading a shipping container of building materials located the bags.
Detective Senior Sergeant Anthony Darvill, of Auckland City CIB, says more than 75 packages of cocaine wrapped in cellophane were located in the duffle bags.
"An investigation between Police and Customs is now under way following yesterday's seizure.
"The joint investigation will focus on the movements of the container and its eventual destination," he says.
"What we do know is that the container transited through Central America in late March 2025 on its way to New Zealand.
"Cocaine is a highly addictive drug and causes a concerning level of harm in our communities.
"This is a significant find and will put a noticeable dent in the availability of this illegal drug in the district and the harm caused by it."
Customs' Acting Investigations Manager, Rachael Manning says: "Customs is committed to working in collaboration with Police to play our part in preventing drugs from reaching our communities, where they cause significant social harm.
"We will continue to provide intelligence and investigative support to our Police partners to identify and hold those responsible to account."
