Police and customs seized $63m worth of cocaine at the Ports of Auckland yesterday and have arrested four men, following a joint operation.

The operation, named Blanco, resulted in officers taking 140kgs of cocaine, or 1.4 million doses of cocaine off the New Zealand market.

The cocaine haul was found concealed within a cavity of a container, which is understood to have originated in Ecuador and travelled through Panama to its final destination of New Zealand.

National Organised Crime Group detective inspector Tom Gollan said three of the men who were arrested in Auckland yesterday were deportees.

"Three of the men were deported back to New Zealand in July and August 2023, and a fourth man is an Australian National who recently entered New Zealand as a visitor."

Police found a drone that the group used for surveillance when officers carried out search warrants.

Officers also found newly purchased angle grinders, and equipment to be used to recover the drugs in the container, said Gollan.

Police also found a firearm as a part of Operation Blanco. Photo: Supplied / Police

"What was particularly chilling is the discovery of a pistol with a silencer attached, and ammunition, which was found in possession of one of these men.

"These organised crime groups try all sorts of concealment methods to attempt to beat law enforcement authorities.

"This investigation highlights the extreme lengths this organised criminal enterprise went to to try and avoid detection," he said.

All four men have appeared in the Auckland District Court facing charges relating to the importation of cocaine, firearm offences, and participating in an organised crime group.

This investigation also identified the trend of organised crime groups aggressively targeting and attempting to "rip" or take possession of the imported drugs while they are transiting through the port or other associated facilities.

This has been a method seen in overseas jurisdictions and was now happening more and more in New Zealand, said police.

Acting customs investigations manager Simon Peterson said the seizure was just one example of what customs and its partners were dealing with on a regular basis.

"It further demonstrates the constant threat we face at Aotearoa New Zealand's border from well-funded, sophisticated, and determined transnational organised crime groups," he said.

"The success in bringing down this smuggling attempt also shows Customs' commitment and determination, working alongside our police partners and offshore and industry partners, to disrupt this predatory criminal activity, hit the profits these gangs aim to make from exploiting our communities and play our part in reducing the wide-ranging social harm drugs they cause in our communities."

This story was originally posted by RNZ News