{"id":170832,"date":"2023-02-10T04:46:52","date_gmt":"2023-02-10T04:46:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/?p=170832"},"modified":"2023-02-10T04:46:52","modified_gmt":"2023-02-10T04:46:52","slug":"enough-cocaine-to-supply-australia-for-a-year-found-in-260m-ocean-haul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/world-news\/enough-cocaine-to-supply-australia-for-a-year-found-in-260m-ocean-haul\/","title":{"rendered":"Enough cocaine ‘to supply Australia for a year’ found in \u00a3260m ocean haul"},"content":{"rendered":"
A massive seizure of 7,700lbs of cocaine has been secured by authorities in New Zealand.<\/p>\n
The shipment of the class A drug was found afloat in a remote area of the Pacific Ocean.<\/p>\n
Andrew Coster, the New Zealand Police Commissioner, spoke about the magnitude of the seizure and the effect it has financially on the producers of the drug.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Police force training drug-sniffing squirrels to join elite narcotics division<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no doubt this discovery lands a major financial blow right from the South American producers through to the distributors of this product.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is one of the single biggest seizures of illegal drugs by authorities in this country.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
While no arrests have yet been made, customs officials have estimated that the total value of the seized cocaine was more than $315million (\u00a3260m).<\/p>\n
Officials confirmed that the shipment was split into 81 bales and was left by smugglers at a drop point in the ocean.<\/p>\n
The operation to seize the narcotics was called Operation Hydros and resulted in the Royal New Zealand Navy ship transporting the drugs to New Zealand where they will be destroyed.<\/p>\n
New Zealand authorities said they will continue to investigate the case and they will monitor "suspicious" vessels.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
To stay up to date with all the latest news, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters <\/i><\/b>here<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
Massive seizures of drugs seems to be a recurring theme this year as US Border Patrol announced that just this year, over 7,000lbs of fentanyl has been seized.<\/p>\n
That amount of the class A drug would be enough to kill the population of the US five times over.<\/p>\n
Gary Palmer, the U.S. representative of Alabama, labelled fentanyl as a "weapon" that's coming across the border and killing a high rate of young people.<\/p>\n
"Fentanyl is a weapon that is coming across our borders that's killing young people at a record level," he said.<\/p>\n
READ NEXT:<\/b><\/p>\n Crazy life of porn star turned Christian found dead after 'going out of control'<\/b><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Drug dealer promises to donate one month's profit to Turkey-Syria earthquake victims<\/b><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Leonardo DiCaprio taught how to snort cocaine off an 'a**hole' by ex-addict co-star<\/b><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n