An Abandoned Boat Lead Police to a $448m Haul of Methamphetamine

Northland police have seized a record-breaking haul of methamphetamine worth $448 million.

"This is without a doubt, the largest seizure of methamphetamine in New Zealand," said Northland police district commander, Superintendent Russell Le Prou.

"We received notification of suspicious behaviour in the past few weeks, and that has allowed us to get to this point."

Three men will appear in court this morning in relation to the bust.

Police said observant locals called police after noticing the occupants of several vehicles acting suspiciously in the area for the past fortnight, and trying to launch boats off the west coast.

Early on Sunday morning police found a boat abandoned on 90 Mile Beach, with a number of mesh bags on board.

They began searching for a Toyota Prado and a rental campervan, as the occupants had been seen trying to launch boats in the area.

Members of the public told police that the men driving the campervan and the Toyota had been offering large amounts of cash in exchange for help to launch the boats.

While police were on 90 Mile Beach recovering the boat, the Toyota Prado drove past. The driver failed to stop for police and a pursuit began. The vehicle stopped a short distance away at the Ahipara Golf Course.

A 31-year-old man and a 26-year-old man from Auckland were arrested and taken to the Kaitaia Police Station.

Several hours later, police stopped the campervan at Totara North.

In the back, officers saw what appeared to be numerous bags of methamphetamine.

The 19-year-old driver and the campervan were taken to the Kaitaia Police Station, where a further search of the campervan found numerous suitcases and bags. Inside the suitcases and bags were dozens of resealable plastic bags containing methamphetamine.

Mr Le Prou says the seizure outstrips the total 334kg of methamphetamine seized in New Zealand last year.

"Wherever this methamphetamine was headed, it was going to cause harm, and it's thanks to the Kaitaia community, who were not going to tolerate this, that we've managed to stop the harm from this massive haul of meth," he said.

The methamphetamine has since been removed from the Kaitaia Police Station and investigations are now under way into where it came from.

Mr Le Prou confirmed the drugs were found in the campervan and appeared to have been imported into New Zealand.

"There is some indication of salt on the bag and we're sort of assuming from the circumstances that it's been picked up from the scene. The accused are charged with importing methamphetamine."

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