Key points
- Four men aged between 27 and 35 have been arrested in Canterbury, New Zealand, after a joint police and Customs investigation codenamed Operation Magpie.
- Investigators seized 10kg of cocaine, 24.5kg of MDMA, 10.6kg of ketamine, 6,800 ecstasy tablets, 70kg of pseudoephedrine, 4,600 LSD tabs, 3kg of cannabis and 550g of methamphetamine.
- Officers also recovered more than $500,000 in cash, a 3D-printed firearm and pill-pressing equipment for producing ecstasy tablets.
- Police say multiple drug shipments were intercepted at the border, with further drugs and assets seized during search warrants across Canterbury; some drugs were allegedly concealed in cricket equipment.
- The four men remain in custody and are due to appear in the Christchurch District Court facing charges relating to the importation, possession for supply and supply of controlled drugs.
Four men have been arrested in New Zealand after police and Customs officers seized a large haul of illegal drugs in Canterbury, including 10kg of cocaine, 24.5kg of MDMA and 10.6kg of ketamine. The arrests followed a joint investigation by the Canterbury District Organised Crime Group and New Zealand Customs, codenamed Operation Magpie, which police say disrupted a significant drug smuggling network operating in Canterbury and across the country.
What was seized
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cocaine seized | 10kg | New Zealand Police / Customs |
| MDMA seized | 24.5kg | New Zealand Police / Customs |
| Ketamine seized | 10.6kg | New Zealand Police / Customs |
| Ecstasy tablets seized | 6,800 | New Zealand Police / Customs |
| Pseudoephedrine seized | 70kg | New Zealand Police / Customs |
| LSD tabs seized | 4,600 | New Zealand Police / Customs |
| Cannabis seized | 3kg | New Zealand Police / Customs |
| Methamphetamine seized | 550g | New Zealand Police / Customs |
| Cash seized | More than $500,000 | New Zealand Police / Customs |
| Men arrested | 4, aged 27 to 35 | New Zealand Police |
Alongside the drugs, investigators seized more than $500,000 in cash, a 3D-printed firearm and pill-pressing equipment for producing ecstasy tablets. Police described the haul as a massive quantity of drugs, and local media reported the seizure as worth millions of dollars.
How the operation worked
According to police, the operation was part of a wider investigation targeting the importation, supply and distribution of illicit drugs. Multiple consignments of controlled drugs were intercepted at the New Zealand border, while further drugs and assets were seized during a series of search warrants across Canterbury. Some of the drugs were allegedly concealed in cricket equipment, police said.
Customs Acting Investigations Manager Nigel Barnes said the range of drugs intercepted demonstrated "the persistence and increasingly brazen nature of this activity". Detective Senior Sergeant Tania Jellyman said the intelligence sharing and coordinated enforcement between police and Customs had enabled the successful outcome of the investigation.
What police said about the harm
Detective Senior Sergeant Jellyman said the quantities seized represented "a significant amount of harm that has been prevented from reaching our communities". She added: "Organised criminal groups are motivated by profit and have little regard for the damage these substances cause to individuals, families and communities."
Police said the operation had disrupted an organised drug supply chain operating in Canterbury, with the investigation also targeting distribution networks elsewhere in the country.
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What happens next
The four men arrested, aged between 27 and 35, remain in custody. They are due to appear in the Christchurch District Court facing a range of charges relating to the importation, possession for supply and supply of controlled drugs. Europe Unfolded will report the next developments as they are confirmed.
Updates & corrections
Published 7 November 2026.
Sources
- 1News, "'Massive quantity' of cocaine, MDMA and ketamine seized in Canterbury bust", 7 November 2026, on the seizure quantities, the cash, the 3D-printed firearm and pill-pressing equipment, the border interceptions and search warrants, Mr Barnes's and Detective Senior Sergeant Jellyman's remarks, and the men's court appearance: 1news.co.nz
- NZ Herald, "Canterbury drug bust: Four men arrested after cocaine, MDMA, 3D gun haul", 7 November 2026, on Operation Magpie, the drugs allegedly concealed in cricket equipment, and the four men remanded in custody: nzherald.co.nz
- Otago Daily Times, "'Massive' Canterbury bust: $500k in cash, millions in drugs seized", 7 November 2026, corroborating the seizure quantities, the cash, the firearm, the four arrests and the Christchurch District Court appearance: odt.co.nz
- Newstalk ZB, "'Major blow to organised crime': Illicit drugs, 3D gun, cash seized in sting", 7 November 2026, corroborating the operation, the seizures and the arrests: newstalkzb.co.nz