1 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:06,640 Speaker 1: Kiota. 2 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:09,720 Speaker 2: I'm Chelsea Daniels and this is the Front Page, a 3 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:11,920 Speaker 2: daily podcast presented by the. 4 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:13,000 Speaker 1: New Zealand Herald. 5 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:19,120 Speaker 2: It'll come as no surprise to anyone when I tell 6 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,480 Speaker 2: you that meth is a serious problem in New Zealand. 7 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 2: Wastewater testing results show the consumption of the drug in 8 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:29,319 Speaker 2: New Zealand more than doubled in the second half of 9 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 2: twenty twenty four to the. 10 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:33,600 Speaker 1: Highest levels ever recorded. 11 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 2: At the same time, the New Zealand Drug Trend Survey 12 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 2: twenty twenty four showed the average price of a gram 13 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 2: of meth declined from five hundred and sixty three dollars 14 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 2: in twenty seventeen eighteen to three hundred and sixty dollars 15 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:53,480 Speaker 2: last year. Meanwhile, wastewater testing in Oportiki shows meThe use 16 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:58,120 Speaker 2: there has halved after police raids on an alleged mungol 17 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 2: mob drug ring. Today Day on the Front Page, Harold 18 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 2: investigative reporter Jared Savage is with us to run through 19 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:14,360 Speaker 2: the state of myth in our country. Jared, Look, it 20 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:17,840 Speaker 2: comes as no surprise when we say myth is popular 21 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:21,160 Speaker 2: in New Zealand, but just how prevalent is it? 22 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 3: It's ticking in the number one drug of choice in 23 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:28,559 Speaker 3: New Zealand. It has been for quite some time, about 24 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 3: the past twenty twenty five years or so, but you know, 25 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 3: we've really seen a big surge in the consumption of 26 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:39,720 Speaker 3: myth late last year. So the police and ESR scientists 27 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 3: sort of worked together with wastewater testing, so it gives 28 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 3: sort of it's not the only way of working out 29 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 3: how much myth has been consumed, but it is an 30 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:52,640 Speaker 3: objective scientific measure by which you can sort of see 31 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 3: whether the trend is going up or down. And so 32 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 3: for about the past six years they've been running this 33 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 3: program and sort of use just fluctuated sort of between 34 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:05,920 Speaker 3: ten to twenty kilos per week, and there were some 35 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 3: big sort of factors in the ten kilo at the 36 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 3: lower limit that was when New Zealand was a complete 37 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 3: lockdown during early twenty twenty, and then the peak of 38 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 3: twenty kilos it was about a year later when the 39 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 3: world had opened up a little bit there was a 40 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 3: bit more travel and freight coming back and forth. But 41 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 3: of course Auckland was in lockdown at that point and 42 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 3: there was a lot of people similarly using meth during 43 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:32,960 Speaker 3: that time, and it peaked at about twenty kilos, so 44 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 3: between ten and twenty kilos over the past sort of 45 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:37,799 Speaker 3: six years and normally in the middle of that, sort 46 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:40,640 Speaker 3: of hovering around the sort of the fifteen kilo mark, 47 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 3: and that's where it was in June last year, just 48 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 3: over fifteen kilos, and then from July to December last year, 49 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 3: the wastewater testing showed a huge increase, so going from 50 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 3: fifteen kilos each week to thirty kilos each week for 51 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 3: the second half of last year, and it peaked in 52 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,959 Speaker 3: October with about thirty nine nearly forty kilos of myth 53 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 3: being consumed each and every week last year. So you know, 54 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:11,079 Speaker 3: it's doubled, it's doubled from the peak, and it's doubled 55 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 3: from what has sort of historically been this sort of 56 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 3: traditional midpoint that we've seen. And it's it's quite an 57 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 3: alarming discovery that we've found through the wastewater data. 58 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: What can we put this down to? 59 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, so it's hard to sort of explain exactly why 60 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 3: why people are consuming more, and there are lots of 61 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 3: reasons that people would use drugs, but it's really comes 62 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 3: out of simple economics. Talking to various researchers and the 63 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 3: police experts as well. Essentially, the world is a wash 64 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 3: with drugs. There is a huge amount being produced overseas 65 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 3: and that has been since to New Zealand an increasingly 66 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 3: large amount. So the market here is saturated. It's been 67 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:55,240 Speaker 3: flooded with metham betamine and other drugs, but mostly metham betamine, 68 00:03:55,480 --> 00:04:00,080 Speaker 3: and that has led to more supply equals cheaper prey 69 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 3: equals more consumption, and that's pretty much what it boils 70 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 3: down to. 71 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, I was surprised to read somewhere. I think I 72 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 2: showed the average price of a gram of math declined 73 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 2: from about five hundred and sixty odd dollars in twenty 74 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:16,599 Speaker 2: eighteen to three hundred and sixty last year, So that's 75 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:17,839 Speaker 2: going to have something to do with it. 76 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 3: A So that's right. So that's the you know, that's 77 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:24,799 Speaker 3: that prices come down, and that's those figures come from research. 78 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:28,279 Speaker 3: To my massive University professor Chris Wilkins is the lead 79 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 3: researcher in New Zealand and has done so for twenty years. 80 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:36,839 Speaker 3: And you know they interview anonymously drug users regularly and 81 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:39,839 Speaker 3: that's how they update those figures there. So if it's cheaper, 82 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 3: you can if you're a user of methanbenaman and it's cheaper. 83 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:46,160 Speaker 3: You can therefore use more of it for the you know, 84 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 3: and not spend any more money. And so that's the 85 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:53,480 Speaker 3: cheaper prices have come from the market being flooded and 86 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 3: more myth being used. Chris Wilkins was interviewed with the 87 00:04:56,760 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 3: story and he said all the metrics going in the 88 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 3: wrong direction on this, and he described it as a 89 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 3: wake up call. 90 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 2: Well, we already know that cartels overseas have been eyeing 91 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 2: up New Zealand for years now. Hey, we've got syndicates 92 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 2: based in Southeast Asia and more recently actually the Mexican cartels. 93 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 2: Just in November, a Columbia led global operation thwarted the 94 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 2: plans of six subs carrying fourteen hundred tons of drugs, 95 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:28,160 Speaker 2: one of which was headed to Australia and New Zealand. 96 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:37,200 Speaker 4: The Columbian Navy says it's intercepted a Narco submarine bound 97 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 4: for Australia. Official say it's the third such vessel ceased, 98 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 4: indicating a drug smuggling route across the Pacific. 99 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 5: A coordinated effort in the multinational orient Strategy led to 100 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 5: the seizure of over fourteen hundred tons of narcotic substances. 101 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:59,280 Speaker 5: Of these, two hundred and twenty five tons of cocaine 102 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:02,840 Speaker 5: stood out, which would represent more than five hundred and 103 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:05,480 Speaker 5: seventy four million doses on our streets. 104 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:09,839 Speaker 1: Now that's huge. 105 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 2: So no cartel would risk the capture of that larger 106 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 2: shipment of drugs if it didn't think the risk was 107 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 2: worth the reward. 108 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 1: Hey, well that's right. 109 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:21,440 Speaker 3: And I mean in New Zealand for a long time, 110 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 3: we are a small We're a small market, you know, 111 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 3: compared to the rest of the world. But a lot 112 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 3: of these organizations see sort of Australia and New Zealand 113 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 3: together as sort of a one to a one two stop. 114 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:35,599 Speaker 3: So obviously our big brother across the tasmin much bigger market, 115 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 3: but also commands quite high prices. So even though the 116 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:42,560 Speaker 3: prices have come down in New Zealand, it's still high 117 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:46,800 Speaker 3: by comparison internationally. So it's a small market but seen 118 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:50,200 Speaker 3: as lucrative. So that is why we're being targeted by 119 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:54,479 Speaker 3: Mexican CATAUS Southeast Asian organized crime groups who work candy 120 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 3: glove here with sort of organized crime figures here, including 121 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:01,040 Speaker 3: sort of the outlaw motorcycle groups you know, in particular 122 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:03,159 Speaker 3: sort of you know, the common Cero's and some of 123 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 3: those other five x one gangs that have really elevated 124 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 3: that they've got true international connections with these groups overseas, 125 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 3: and that's elevated the supply and that's led to what 126 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 3: we're seeing here with with far greater consumption. Literally the 127 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:19,080 Speaker 3: figure is doubling last year. 128 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 2: Now you mentioned these cartels work hand in hand with 129 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:24,800 Speaker 2: local gangs. Here, tell me a little bit about a Portaki. 130 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:28,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, so a Portoki is a small town in Easter 131 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 3: made plenty and last year sort of garnered a few 132 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 3: headlines because there was quite a big drug bus down 133 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 3: there involving the mongrel mob. And I don't think they 134 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 3: would have been working hand in glove with the cartels, 135 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:43,560 Speaker 3: but somewhere along the supply chain that that myth had 136 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:47,360 Speaker 3: been getting into a poto Key. And like many smaller 137 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 3: real towns around around the country, they are sort of 138 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 3: disproportionately affected by methan betamine. Their sort of average per 139 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:57,679 Speaker 3: capita consumption is often far greater than the national average. 140 00:07:57,720 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 3: So you know, there's some big headlines last year about 141 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:03,120 Speaker 3: this this raid, these raids, this COVID investigation called Operation 142 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 3: high water in a podoquy, and that led about twenty 143 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 3: odd members of the Mong the Barbarians Chapter and their 144 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 3: associates being being arrested and charged with various drug dealing 145 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:17,080 Speaker 3: and money laundering offenses. Now that's all before the courts 146 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:19,480 Speaker 3: and you know, yet to be proven. But what the 147 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 3: wastewater shows is that after those raids was a dramatic 148 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:27,680 Speaker 3: decrease in methectomy consumption and a podokey. So I think 149 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:29,920 Speaker 3: in the month leading up to the raids it was 150 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:33,280 Speaker 3: around about one hundred and nineteen grands per week was 151 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:35,480 Speaker 3: being consumed in a podige, which is a bear in 152 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:38,440 Speaker 3: mind a small town of about five or six thousand people. 153 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:42,200 Speaker 3: Following month that dropped down to sixty six grands, so 154 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 3: nearly hard So whilst the rest of the country was 155 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 3: going up, a podokey went down following the raids, and 156 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:52,360 Speaker 3: then the next month that went down again to fifty 157 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:54,480 Speaker 3: four grands a week, again while the rest of the 158 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:58,240 Speaker 3: country went up. And so you know that indicates that 159 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 3: sort of strong and fours does have an impact in 160 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:04,839 Speaker 3: terms of in terms of consumption because obviously they're cutting 161 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:08,199 Speaker 3: off the supply or the major supply into the town 162 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 3: because members of the Munger Mob and at the same time, 163 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:13,199 Speaker 3: the police are also kind of being that. They run 164 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:16,319 Speaker 3: a program called the Revilliance to Organize Crime and Community. 165 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:19,840 Speaker 3: So that's it's called ROCK ROCC and that's where like 166 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:22,440 Speaker 3: dedicated police stuff sort of work hand in hand with 167 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:26,120 Speaker 3: community community leaders and NGOs and EWE to sort of 168 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 3: support sort of meth harm production program. So they'll go 169 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 3: and do a big raide, you know, and years gone by, 170 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 3: you know, the police would that was their job. They 171 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:37,560 Speaker 3: would go and do that and sort of walk away 172 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:40,440 Speaker 3: to the to the next, to the next operation. In 173 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:43,000 Speaker 3: this case, they're working in there with with local families 174 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:45,720 Speaker 3: to make sure that you know, they're getting food on 175 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:48,000 Speaker 3: the table, getting their kids to school, getting how it 176 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:51,719 Speaker 3: preferred into the meth amphetames, sort of education programs and 177 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:55,800 Speaker 3: rehab that that kind of work there on the head 178 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:58,320 Speaker 3: of the Rock Program. Infected Jock o Keep said it's 179 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:01,600 Speaker 3: been about seven hundred and twenty thousand and funding been 180 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 3: guarded to sort of keep supporting the work that the 181 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:10,600 Speaker 3: local groups, the local community leaders and ewi's are already doing. So, yeah, 182 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:25,400 Speaker 3: there is a glimmer of hope out there, and of. 183 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 1: Course at the borders as well. 184 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:32,840 Speaker 2: They're ramping up looking for these importations of drugs. And 185 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:35,559 Speaker 2: when I think about recent history that there've been some 186 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 2: pretty big busts. I'm thinking over the last five six years. 187 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:42,440 Speaker 3: He oh, absolutely every year there seems to be another 188 00:10:42,559 --> 00:10:45,560 Speaker 3: record breaking drug bust. I mean I've been reporting on 189 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:49,959 Speaker 3: this these issues about fifteen years. Back then, one kilo 190 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:53,560 Speaker 3: was quite a quite a big deal. The record back 191 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:56,280 Speaker 3: then and for many years was back in two thousand 192 00:10:56,280 --> 00:11:00,440 Speaker 3: and six was ninety five kilos of methamphetamine coming in 193 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:03,160 Speaker 3: from China. That was a huge deal. It was seen 194 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:05,680 Speaker 3: as an outlier for about ten years, and then we 195 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 3: saw five hundred and one kilos sort of wash up 196 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:11,160 Speaker 3: on the beach that famous case Operation Frontier up in Northland. 197 00:11:11,559 --> 00:11:14,960 Speaker 3: And then from then, I mean now five hundred kilo 198 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:20,360 Speaker 3: stezias are almost routine. So certainly one hundred kilos is 199 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:22,840 Speaker 3: a routine now and so we're seeing four or five, 200 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,600 Speaker 3: six hundred. I think the biggest at the border Caesar 201 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:28,319 Speaker 3: is about seven hundred and thirteen kilos that was hidden 202 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:32,359 Speaker 3: inside maple syrup bottles which had been imported from Canada. 203 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:35,280 Speaker 3: Although it's I guess it's suspected that the myth would 204 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:39,079 Speaker 3: have been transshipped from Mexico up to Canada and then 205 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:41,880 Speaker 3: to New Zealand where it was caught. So we are 206 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 3: seeing huge, huge amounts of you know, busts happening every year, 207 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:47,960 Speaker 3: I guess, And people might look at that and go, oh, 208 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 3: that's great, we're catching more. Well, I think the opposite 209 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:53,880 Speaker 3: is true. We're catching these bigger amounts because more is 210 00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:57,000 Speaker 3: being seent here and that sort of you know, and 211 00:11:57,040 --> 00:11:59,440 Speaker 3: that has been sort of born out in the wastewater 212 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:02,120 Speaker 3: of data that we seeing where we're stopping more than 213 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:04,679 Speaker 3: ever at the border, but we are consuming way more 214 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 3: than ever, And I guess that shows how saturated the 215 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:08,240 Speaker 3: market really is. 216 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:10,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, and criminals can get really tricky in how they 217 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:13,720 Speaker 2: try and conceal these drugs as well. I remember once 218 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:17,160 Speaker 2: heading to customs and actually seeing the myth that was 219 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:21,080 Speaker 2: concealed inside batteries of these golf carts that were being 220 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:22,240 Speaker 2: imported from the US. 221 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:23,840 Speaker 1: I think that was about twenty nineteen. 222 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:27,560 Speaker 2: So what are some of the strangest ways you've seen 223 00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:29,440 Speaker 2: meth trying to be concealed? 224 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:31,120 Speaker 1: I mean, maple syrup's got to be one of them. 225 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:34,720 Speaker 3: Oh, look, there. You know, there are so many ways 226 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:39,559 Speaker 3: to conceal myth or other drugs. Honestly, the mind boggles 227 00:12:39,559 --> 00:12:42,080 Speaker 3: at how many there have been. It's almost only limited 228 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:46,600 Speaker 3: by your imagination. Probably the best concealment I've seen was 229 00:12:46,679 --> 00:12:51,600 Speaker 3: where myth was mixed in with like a concrete like 230 00:12:51,720 --> 00:12:55,840 Speaker 3: substance and then poured into an umbrella stand. So they 231 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:59,480 Speaker 3: were being imported in the country as umbrella stands, and 232 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 3: the organized crime Syndicate it had sent people to New 233 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 3: Zealand set up these businesses to import umbrella stands amongst 234 00:13:07,559 --> 00:13:10,160 Speaker 3: other furniture, and when it got here, they were then 235 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:13,240 Speaker 3: breaking up the umbrella stands with you know, drills and 236 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:15,560 Speaker 3: hammers and bits and pieces, and then running it through 237 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:19,440 Speaker 3: a fairly complicated sort of process to break it back 238 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:21,960 Speaker 3: down into myth and then being sold. I think it 239 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:24,640 Speaker 3: was about one hundred and eighty kilos or something. It 240 00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:27,800 Speaker 3: was a big amount, But that's probably the best concealment 241 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:30,840 Speaker 3: I've seen. But I mean, of course, another trend that 242 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:33,840 Speaker 3: we've seen of later is organized crime groups not even 243 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:36,880 Speaker 3: needing to hide or conceal the myth anymore. You know, 244 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:39,880 Speaker 3: there's been some quite well documented cases of corruption within 245 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:42,600 Speaker 3: the airports and at the port of Auckland, the port 246 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:46,920 Speaker 3: of Turnongar, where you know, these prime groups and outlaw 247 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:51,600 Speaker 3: motorcycle gangs have insiders working there. Cramped insiders who are 248 00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:55,800 Speaker 3: you know, are paid to essentially facilitate the smuggling of 249 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:58,600 Speaker 3: the drugs straight in. And often the drugs aren't even hidden, 250 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 3: they're just sort of boxed up normal cardboard boxers. But 251 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:04,160 Speaker 3: if you've got someone in there who can move things 252 00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:07,320 Speaker 3: around and get it out of the warehouse before it 253 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:09,520 Speaker 3: can be checked and so on, they're no one is 254 00:14:09,559 --> 00:14:11,760 Speaker 3: having a door into the country. And it's often as 255 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:13,080 Speaker 3: simple as that for these groups. 256 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:15,840 Speaker 2: And we often talk about math, but also I see 257 00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:18,600 Speaker 2: that the cocaine has had an uplift in use in 258 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:22,320 Speaker 2: this country. The latest NZED health survey noted there was 259 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:25,480 Speaker 2: an increasing availability of cocaine in New Zealand. 260 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:28,560 Speaker 1: It found an increase in the number of users. Two 261 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:29,520 Speaker 1: point four. 262 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:33,880 Speaker 2: Percent of adults used cocaine in the past year. Historically 263 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 2: that figure has been around zero point five percent. 264 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:40,280 Speaker 1: Of the population. So are we seeing more cocaine get 265 00:14:40,320 --> 00:14:41,000 Speaker 1: through as well? 266 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:45,200 Speaker 3: Yes, we are in a big proportional increase, but still 267 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 3: small compared to myth but I mean, cocaine has been 268 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:50,440 Speaker 3: on the rise here the last few years. I mean, 269 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:53,240 Speaker 3: I guess it doesn't have quite the same stigma as myth. 270 00:14:53,280 --> 00:14:55,480 Speaker 3: That's probably seen as a bit more of a white 271 00:14:55,520 --> 00:15:00,360 Speaker 3: collar party drug, but sexier perhaps in those circles. And 272 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:04,280 Speaker 3: that's the myth is coming through in the same supply pipelines, 273 00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:07,280 Speaker 3: So the cocaine is coming through the same supply pipelines 274 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:10,000 Speaker 3: as meth and beeta means obviously cocaine comes from South 275 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:13,760 Speaker 3: America through Mexico, with the same kind of cartels there 276 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:16,760 Speaker 3: bringing it in and supplying it here to the outlaw 277 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:20,400 Speaker 3: motorcycle gangs and many of whom had the origins in Australia, 278 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:23,280 Speaker 3: where cocaine is a much bigger market, so they're kind 279 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:26,880 Speaker 3: of bringing in the cocaine and trying to establish the 280 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 3: market here. It has grown from a small base in 281 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:32,960 Speaker 3: the last few years, and we've definitely seen that more 282 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:35,680 Speaker 3: and more. I mean, you know, again HARKing back showing 283 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:38,480 Speaker 3: my age here, but HARKing back set of fifteen years ago, 284 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:41,920 Speaker 3: cocaine was a very tiny amount and we're now seeing 285 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:46,880 Speaker 3: some quite large shipments coming into New Zealand, often rivaling 286 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:49,440 Speaker 3: the size of some of the meth some of the 287 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:51,840 Speaker 3: meath shipments that we're having though the suspicion is is 288 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:54,720 Speaker 3: that a big chunk of those cocaine shipments coming here 289 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:57,080 Speaker 3: to New Zealand have then been transshipped to the bigger 290 00:15:57,120 --> 00:16:00,080 Speaker 3: market in Australia as well. So it's all part of 291 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:04,480 Speaker 3: the same organized crime ecosystem that we're seeing with methban pedimen. 292 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:11,560 Speaker 6: This type of offending is not new globally. We known 293 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:14,040 Speaker 6: about it, We've seen it before in New Zealand, we've 294 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:16,480 Speaker 6: seen it in this operation and we will see it again. 295 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:20,680 Speaker 6: To defeat this, we've got to look at our engagement 296 00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:24,880 Speaker 6: internationally in challenge and sharing that we're doing with our partners, 297 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:28,480 Speaker 6: for example home Land Security Investigations who are looking at 298 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 6: the other end of this investigation, to look at both 299 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:37,240 Speaker 6: ends of this. The overarching commitment we've got in an 300 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:40,480 Speaker 6: ever changing risk environment is this is not just a 301 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:43,880 Speaker 6: law enforcement problem. We are reaching out to our industry 302 00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:47,600 Speaker 6: partners to make sure that they have the tools and 303 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:51,720 Speaker 6: the information available to them to also strengthen the supply chain. 304 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:56,680 Speaker 2: And you've spoken to authorities about this, I mean, what 305 00:16:56,800 --> 00:16:59,160 Speaker 2: do they say. They must just feel like they're drowning. 306 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:00,880 Speaker 2: Do we just have to hope, hope that they're just 307 00:17:00,960 --> 00:17:02,040 Speaker 2: keeping on top of it all. 308 00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:05,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean I think they're definitely. The police and 309 00:17:05,359 --> 00:17:08,040 Speaker 3: customers at times probably definitely feel like they're the little 310 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:11,840 Speaker 3: boy with his finger in the dike holding back the dam. 311 00:17:12,119 --> 00:17:14,879 Speaker 3: You know, this is a huge problem, and not just 312 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:18,040 Speaker 3: a New Zealand, but around the world. Everyone is on 313 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:22,320 Speaker 3: the same page that really. Whilst law enforcements still needs 314 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:24,280 Speaker 3: to be tackling the high ends, you know, the high 315 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:26,600 Speaker 3: end suppliers, and obviously a lot of money can be 316 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:31,040 Speaker 3: made from them, so tackling those high end suppliers must continue. 317 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:32,840 Speaker 3: But like you know, you take out it, you take 318 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:36,440 Speaker 3: out a crime syndicate, well somebody else will replace them 319 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 3: and sort of fill that vacuum quite quickly. So I 320 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:41,600 Speaker 3: mean everyone's on the same sort of page. Around We 321 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:44,080 Speaker 3: need to be tacking the demand for drugs as well, 322 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:47,920 Speaker 3: and a lot of that comes back to treating meth 323 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:51,000 Speaker 3: using and meth addiction in particular as a health issue, 324 00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:53,480 Speaker 3: not necessarily locking people up, but sort of referring them 325 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:56,199 Speaker 3: into health programs to sort of get the help and 326 00:17:56,240 --> 00:17:59,359 Speaker 3: the counseling that they need, but also probably far greater 327 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:04,760 Speaker 3: education amongst children basically not just teenagers, but children around 328 00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:07,880 Speaker 3: the harm that can be caused by METAM better mean 329 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:11,400 Speaker 3: and particular and really getting into that sort of prevention space, 330 00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:14,800 Speaker 3: we would need far more sort of resources being put 331 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:18,240 Speaker 3: into that. At the moment in comparison, it would be 332 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:20,879 Speaker 3: a bit of a drop in the bucket. So yeah, 333 00:18:21,119 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 3: there's no solution to this. And I don't think there's always 334 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:26,639 Speaker 3: going to be a demand well drugs and there's always 335 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:29,000 Speaker 3: going to be people wanting to make money from supplying them, 336 00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:32,640 Speaker 3: so keeping that high in enforcement is crucial. But yeah, 337 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:36,080 Speaker 3: far more money needs to be sort of directed towards 338 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:41,480 Speaker 3: health and education programs, particularly in the smaller rural communities 339 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:43,760 Speaker 3: that you know, further further away from the big centers 340 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:49,080 Speaker 3: where you might have more sort of drug rehab help available. 341 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:51,560 Speaker 3: And it's often the smaller towns that they are the 342 00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:53,320 Speaker 3: ones getting the hit the hardest. 343 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:56,440 Speaker 1: Thanks for joining us, Jared Pleasure as always. 344 00:18:56,119 --> 00:19:00,000 Speaker 3: No problem. 345 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 2: That's it for this episode of the Front Page. You 346 00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:07,119 Speaker 2: can read more about today's stories and extensive news coverage 347 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:11,159 Speaker 2: at enzedherld dot co dot nz. The Front Page is 348 00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:14,960 Speaker 2: produced by Ethan Sills and Richard Martin, who is also 349 00:19:15,119 --> 00:19:16,200 Speaker 2: our sound engineer. 350 00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:18,159 Speaker 1: I'm Chelsea Daniels. 351 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:21,919 Speaker 2: Subscribe to the front page on iHeartRadio or wherever you 352 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:22,960 Speaker 2: get your podcasts 353 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:27,080 Speaker 1: And tune in tomorrow for another look behind the headlines.