New Zealand police find 3.5 tons of cocaine in Pacific Ocean

By NICK PERRY
Associated Press

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand police have found more than 3 tons of cocaine floating in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean after it was dropped there by an international drug-smuggling syndicate. Police said Wednesday that while they had yet to make any arrests, they had dealt a financial blow to everyone from the South American producers of the drugs through to the distributors in what was the nation’s largest-ever drug seizure. New Zealand Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said the cocaine had been dropped at a floating transit point in 81 bales before it was intercepted by the navy.