“Organized crime groups are using the legitimate supply chain to hide and import their goods, so with this massive disruption [last year], it’s only a matter of time before they bounce back and that’s what we see here.

“They use the fast freight and air freight flows to be able to facilitate their imports. We always see freight shipments go by. [but] the reality is that the vast majority of our drug interceptions are in the mail and air cargo space. “

Organized crime groups see New Zealand as an attractive market, Berry said.

“I describe it as the ‘push sourcing model’ where they use their ties to traditional organized crime groups like motorcycle gangs and use them to do distribution.

“Twenty years ago a kilo crossing the border was huge – now we regularly see hundreds of kilos.

“Air cargo and mail flows are generally smaller amounts – less than 20 kg at a time – but it can be impregnated, it can be in liquid suspension, it can be concealed in everyday objects, it can be. in the coating of boxes. We are therefore working closely with our international partners to identify trends, because most of the time these are not one-off seizures. ”

Sharing information gives authorities the best chance of intercepting drugs at the border, Berry said.

He said that organized crime groups are not interested in anything other than money.

“The damage it is doing to our communities is enormous – the damage it is doing to our reputation, our country as a whole is enormous, so we need to make real efforts in a whole government response to deal with it. to that.

“We’re seeing a steady increase in foreclosures and it’s fantastic. We’re working the supply chain to stop this stuff. [from] even arrive in New Zealand. “