Joint investigation seizes millions in drugs, busts international crime cell

Three arrests have been made and 180 kilograms of methamphetamine has been seized as part of the joint investigation into the international syndicate.

Over the course of three months, Police’s National Organised Crime Group and Customs have been investigating the group’s illegal operations under Operation Fix.

Detective Inspector Tom Gollan says investigations culminated in enforcement activity over the past fortnight.

On 26 July, Customs officers located a substantial concealment of approximately 175 kilograms of methamphetamine at the Port of Tauranga.

The container was full of scrap metal and had originated out of Mexico.

“On Monday, Customs notified Police about an alert that resulted in the arrest of a 32-year-old man at Auckland Airport as he attempted to leave New Zealand,” Detective Inspector Gollan says.

“Further search warrants have since been carried out, resulting in two further arrests.”

This week, Police supported by Customs have executed search warrants at hotel rooms and Air BnB units located within Auckland’s CBD.

A further five kilograms of methamphetamine was located during searches, Detective Inspector Gollan says.

“We believe the methamphetamine seized in the operation has all originated out of Mexico and would be worth around $63 million in retail value.”

All three men, aged 23, 27 and 32, are Mexican nationals and appeared in the Auckland District Court yesterday.

They are facing serious charges, including participating in an organised criminal group, importation of methamphetamine and possession and supply of methamphetamine.

Customs Investigations Manager Dominic Adams says this has been a significant and complex joint operation which has stopped tens of millions of dollars from funding further transnational criminal activity in New Zealand.

“It’s satisfying to know that the months of meticulous investigative work that’s gone into this operation adds to the success of New Zealand law enforcement dismantling those groups which are targeting New Zealand in an effort to amass criminal profits at a huge social and economic cost to our communities and country,” he says.

Investigations are continuing and further charges are likely.

This week’s operation sees the twenty-seventh transnational organised crime cell identified and shut down by the National Organised Crime Group and Customs in the past seven years.

Enquiries are continuing into whether this group can be linked to any particular Mexican Cartel.

“This seizure is a significant find and demonstrates how vital the partnership between Police, Customs and overseas partners is in combating transnational organised crime,” Detective Inspector Gollan says.

“This represents around 9 million doses of methamphetamine, and after being seized has prevented nearly $200 million in social harm.”

• Note - Transnational Organised Crime Cells:

- These are a group of foreign nationals inserted into New Zealand by a crime syndicate

- These cells facilitate imports, exports and distribution of illicit commodities into this country

- They facilitate profits being remitted offshore

- A similar example of this sort of operation was a group charged under Operation Settler last year.

- New Zealand Police have disrupted 27 cells operating in the past seven years