This marks the twenty-fifth alleged transnational organised crime cell police and customs have disrupted in five years, director of the national organised crime group Detective Superintendent Greg Williams said.
The search warrants were made under police Operation Settler, a month-long investigation into an international organised crime group operating from Mexico.
“These organised crime groups are constantly targeting New Zealand and, on many occasions, they are inserting their own people into the country,” Williams said.
“Once established here, they are importing illicit drugs, establishing supply lines to domestic markets and then moving their profits out of the country.”
Police found the $400,000 in cash during a search of an Auckland hotel and believed the meth found at the Air BnB was from Mexico.
“Police are committed to targeting this sort of operation which is undermining the wellbeing of our communities and profiting off their misery,” Detective Inspector Albie Alexander said.
He said the result of the searches and arrest was significant and showed the impact the partnership between Police and Customs was achieving.
Customs’ acting manager investigations Nigel Barnes said the bust was “a really good example of Customs’ expertise in identifying risks at the border.
[This collaboration] with Police ... is another successful joint operation to disrupt transnational organised crime groups that profit from the harm they inflict on our communities,” Barnes said.
“The National Drug Intelligence Bureau estimates the potential harm in New Zealand from 14 kilograms of methamphetamine would be around $15.5 million dollars.”
Police said Operation Settler was ongoing and further arrests and charges could come.
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