New Zealand authorities seized more than three tonnes of cocaine found floating in the Pacific Ocean, the country’s largest-ever haul of illegal drugs.

Police commissioner Andrew Coster said the 3.2 tonnes found were worth an estimated $323 million.

The cocaine had been dropped at a transit point in international waters, six days sailing northeast of New Zealand.

Mr Coster said the haul was equivalent to 30 years of supply in New Zealand and a year’s worth of supply in Australia.

“There is no doubt this discovery lands a major financial blow right from the South American producers through to the distributors of this product,” the commissioner said.

The size of the shipment suggested the drugs were likely destined for Australia, Mr Coster said, noting that “we know the distribution of any illicit drug causes a great amount of social harm as well as negative health and financial implications for communities, especially drug users and their families.”

The commissioner said no arrests had been made, as the police were working with international partners to further their enquiries.

New Zealand Customs Service acting controller Bill Perry said the find resulted from the collaboration of customs with police and the New Zealand Defence Force.

“The sheer scale of this seizure is estimated to have taken more than half a billion dollars worth of cocaine out of circulation. It is a huge illustration of what lengths organised crime will go to with their global drug trafficking operations,” Mr Perry explained. “This shows that we are not exempted from major organised criminal drug smuggling efforts in this part of the world.”

New Zealand’s previous largest-ever drug bust was in 2022, when 613kg of methamphetamine were seized. 

(dpa/NAN)