NZ man arrested in global drug syndicate bust

File photo / NZ Herald

New Zealand police have arrested an Auckland man as part of an operation to dismantle an international drug syndicate.

The operation, targeting a sophisticated heroin drug trafficking syndicate, culminated this morning with the execution by Australian police of 15 arrest warrants at residential and business properties across Melbourne.

A large amount of powder, believed to be heroin, was located and a number of vehicles were seized.

The operation began when intelligence identified a longstanding international organised crime syndicate was targeting Australia and New Zealand with heroin.

Simultaneous warrants have also been executed in New Zealand today.

Five men in Australia were arrested along with a 53-year-old man from Blockhouse Bay, Auckland.

The Organised and Financial Crime Agency of New Zealand has been working closely with the Joint Organised Crime Task Force in Australia over the past five months to bring the investigation to a conclusion.

New Zealand police Assistant Commissioner Malcolm Burgess said it was fantastic to see a number of law enforcement agencies work so closely together on a major international syndicate.

"The partnership between all the agencies involved and the co-operation and intelligence shared has led to these significant arrests in both countries and the seizure of large quantities of drugs," Mr Burgess said.

It is expected that those arrested will face charges relating to trafficking a large commercial quantity of heroin.