Inside a Sparkly Horse Head, NZ’s Biggest Coke Bust Ever

-Importing a class A drug, namely cocaine.

A multimillion-dollar shipment of cocaine – smuggled to New Zealand inside a diamante-encrusted horse sculpture – may have been destined in part for Christchurch, where the rebuild after the devastating 2011 natural disaster appears to be fuelling a demand for hard drugs.

Authorities in New Zealand said Saturday that contained within the sculpture’s glittery head, which arrived from Mexico in May, were 35 bricks of high-grade cocaine worth almost $11 million U.S. “We should be proud to have detected it at the earliest of stages”.

The third person was arrested in Christchurch a day later, but the cops believe there are more arrests to be made.

The street price of cocaine in New Zealand is high and quality often low.

It was the largest cocaine haul in New Zealand history, and saw three men – two Mexican nationals aged 44 and 29, and a 56 year-old USA national – arrested and charged with drug possession and importation.

Police are seeking a fourth man in connection with the country’s biggest ever cocaine haul. He was arrested after a search of two homes in the suburb of Linwood. “We’re very successful at identifying any sorts of drugs coming in”, Bamford said.

On average, Permenter said, police seize half a pound of cocaine per year.

Police have said further arrests are possible and it’s likely a significant organised crime group is at work.

“This seizure shows our systems are working well regardless of the type of drug or commodity”, says Maurice.