Police on Thursday said 19 packages containing $1.9 million ($3 million New Zealand) worth of cocaine washed up on a beach in Auckland, The New Zealand Herald reported.
Update 5:44 a.m EDT Aug. 9: New Zealand police arrested two British men Friday in connection with the 19 packages of cocaine that washed up on a beach in Auckland, The New Zealand Herald reported.
Police arrested a 60-year-old man at an apartment complex in central Auckland, the newspaper reported. A 49-year-old man was detained at an airport, "trying to flee the country," police said. The men have not been identified publicly, the Herald reported.
Original report: The packages were wrapped tightly in plastic and were about the size of a VHS tape, police told the newspaper.
A caller alerted police about the packages Wednesday evening, CNN reported.
"Police with the assistance of New Zealand Customs have conducted a thorough search of the beach and surrounding areas in an effort to locate any further packages," Waitemala police Inspector Det. Colin Parmenter told 1 News.
Large amounts of drugs have been found on a New Zealand beach before, CNN reported. In 2016, police confiscated nearly 1,100 pounds of methamphetamine on 90 Mile Beach, located on the country's North Island, according to the Herald.
About the Author