Seventeen kilograms of cocaine hidden in a shipping container in Auckland has been seized, resulting in the arrests of two men, police say.
The container was shipped from Brazil before transiting through Brisbane and arriving in Auckland late last month.
Police said the container was being kept at a commercial address in the Auckland suburb of Onehunga.
The pair, who allegedly travelled to New Zealand from Australia to retrieve the drugs, were arrested on Saturday as they tried to leave the address on electric scooters, said Detective Inspector Tom Gollan, of the National Organised Crime Group.
"They left behind a ladder that had [been] transported to the yards by way of the scooters," he said in a statement.
"Both men, aged 33 and 42, have since been charged with burglary and the possession for supply of cocaine.
"They have appeared in the Auckland District Court and are due to reappear on Tuesday, June 25, 2024."
Police said the cocaine had a street value of more than $7.6 million.
"It is disconcerting to see overseas transnational organised groups insert their people into New Zealand to facilitate these crimes and demonstrates their willingness to profit from community misery," Det Insp Gollan added.
The seizure showed authorities remained a step ahead of organised crime groups, Customs investigations manager Dominic Adams said.
"We are ever vigilant to stopping the harm that dangerous substances such as cocaine can cause our communities."
