Summarised by Centrist
Police and customs have seized over 1.5m MDMA tablet equivalents in the first half of this year, and nearly $370m worth of powdered methamphetamine.
The isolation, demand, and tight control of the market by gangs all combine to drive up the cost, making New Zealand a prime target for international drug traffickers looking to make big money.
Detective Superintendent Greg Williams explains, “Transnational crime groups see New Zealand as a golden nugget,” where drug prices remain high and profits are enormous.
New Zealand is a long way from the places where these drugs are made, like Myanmar, where according to Williams, “A kilo of meth in Myanmar costs about $1000.”
But by the time it’s smuggled into New Zealand, the price skyrockets because of the risks and effort involved in getting it here.
Gangs also keep prices high—Williams explains, “Our gangs… operate like a cartel, where they’ve kept the prices virtually unchanged for the last 15 years.”
In the US, meth can be as cheap as $5 for a small amount. In New Zealand, though, that same amount might cost $80 to $100. This has incentivised international syndicates to focus on smuggling drugs into the country through various means.
