Two Australian nationals have pleaded guilty to charges stemming from one of New Zealand's biggest drug busts.
The bust led to the discovery of 46kg of cocaine with an estimated value of $20 million during a Mount Maunganui property raid.
At the time it was reported the Class A drug had been secreted in the outer hull of a commercial vessel, the Maersk Antares, berthed at Mount Maunganui on October 31, 2017. It had just arrived from Chile.
Those who admitted their guilt are Benjamin John Northway, 35 and Matthew John Scott, 44.
Before their trial was to start in the High Court at Rotorua today they admitted a raft of charges relating to the bust including laundering millions of dollars.