A South American drug syndicate appears to be targeting New Zealand, with the amount of seized cocaine this year increasing more than 10-fold on two years ago, says Customs.

Cocaine has become the trendy drug of choice and the the number of smugglers from South America caught at the border is rising.

A Japanese couple involved in smuggling nearly 6kg of methamphetamine into NZ were today jailed for today jailed for 7-1/2 years.

P lab busts and seizures are up, and the street price of methamphetamine is climbing gradually, according to a new report on fighting the drug, released today.

New Zealand Customs has modified rules surrounding packages coming into the country following the recent discovery of explosives found in parcels being posted to the US.

An Iranian arrested at Auckland Airport was allegedly found with 1.4kg of concealed and swallowed in about 185 small latex "pellets".

A young man drowned in the Grey River in an attempt to avoid a drink-driving conviction, Coroner Richard McElrea has told an inquest.

NZers can now have their say on whether the South Ridge of Aoraki Mount Cook should be renamed as 'Hillary Ridge'. The Geographic Board today opened a three month-public consultation.

A man who spent three years infiltrating Auckland's crime networks has uncovered a drug trade on a staggering scale.

Almost $100 would be cut off a return airfare to Australia under one airline's plan to simplify transtasman travel.

A Customs broker has been charged with helping smuggle drugs worth up to $17 million.

The Joint Border Management System will give Government agencies a powerful data-matching tool for identifying those transporting illegal goods.

Young Taiwanese honeymooners are being used to carry drug parcels into NZ, says a local tour operator.