Criminal organisations are becoming bolder in their attempts to cash in on the country's incessant appetite for methamphetamine.
Official data shows seizures of meth have almost tripled each year since 2012, while seizures of other Class A drugs have remained relatively stagnant.
More than $560 million of meth was seized by Customs and Police last year, and more than $311 million of meth was seized in Northland alone last year.
The National Drug Intelligence Bureau's Richard Chambers says there's a long way to go before they can get on top of the country's ballooning methamphetamine problem.
"There can be no doubt there's a huge amount of work ahead of us - police staff, Customs, and other relevant agencies have been working hard over years. We will continue to ensure we shut down and dismantle supply chains and networks," he says.
He says new funding will be vital to launch a rebuttal against our surging methamphetamine problem - but tackling the problem needs more than extra boots on the ground.
"The new investment will also allow us to focus on some of the less visible resources that help us to build our own networks internationally as well to help address the supply side," he says.
Mr Chambers says attempts to import large amounts of the drug are likely to increase with the rise in demand.
"Certainly something Australia is experiencing as well where people who are involved on the supply side will attempt to import large amounts of a particular product," he says.
Newshub.
