Port of Tauranga: Cocaine and meth seizures surge amid push by drug cartels
Two seizures of cocaine worth $11.5 million were found in refrigerated containers on board a vessel at Port of Tauranga. Photo / CustomsBetween January 1, 2022 and December 11, cocaine seizures at the Port of Tauranga totalled just over 1698 kg, with an estimated street value of $655.6 million. Photo / Corey FlemingAdams said drug cartels in Mexico and Central and South America were predominantly responsible for cocaine and meth imported into New Zealand. Photo / Laura SmithHe said what came through the Tauranga port required a “different level of connection and sophistication” than drugs sent through the mail or hidden in passengers’ bags at airports. “Every time we open a new investigation and identify certain people, that information is shared with our offshore partners.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 05, 2026 18:36 UTC
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro arrives for first US court appearance after capture
Some 2000 Maduro supporters, including rifle-wielding men on motorcycles, rallied on Sunday in Caracas, with crowds shouting and waving Venezuelan flags. The Venezuelan military, loyal to Maduro, announced it recognised Rodriguez and urged calm. ‘Need access to oil’When asked what he needs from interim leader Rodriguez, Trump said: “We need total access. Anointed by his mentor Hugo Chavez before the latter’s 2013 death, Maduro kept a tight grip on power until his capture by US forces on Saturday. The US position leaves the Venezuelan opposition, which the Trump administration says was robbed of victory by Maduro, out in the cold.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 05, 2026 18:35 UTC
Manage My Health data breach ransom deadline arrives
Manage My Health said late on Monday, ahead of the deadline, that any ransom demand was a matter for Police. Photo / RNZ, Mark PapaliiLuke Hogan, a senior technical manager who works at Intellium, said he could not see Manage My Health recovering. “For me, it’s really, really disappointing that basic cyber security has not been taken seriously. “From my perspective, health data is right up there with financial data, some of the most critical data that needs to be protected. While Manage My Health would not be drawn on the ransom, a former intelligence officer said in general they should not be paid.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 05, 2026 18:33 UTC
ManageMyHealth informing GP clinics affected by cyber attack before contacting individuals later this week
“For context, under the Privacy Act 2020 and the Health Information Privacy Code, the obligation to notify affected individuals sits with the agency that holds the information,” ManageMyHealth said. “Where health documents originate from multiple sources, there may be multiple data controllers with independent notification obligations. He said that under the Privacy Act, ManageMyHealth was responsible for keeping the data it held secure. “A cyber attack is criminal activity and any unlawful use of private client information will be subject to legal action and takedown orders. It urged people to be cautious about emails or communications they received, as scammers could exploit the situation by pretending to be from ManageMyHealth.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 05, 2026 18:22 UTC
Man shaken after being shot with gel-blaster
PHOTO: SUPPLIEDA Southland drive-through worker was shot in the face with a gel-blaster, leaving him in shock for about eight hours. "I gave them their drinks, they paid, and then as I turned my head to take the next order, they shot me," Mr Marshall, 26, said. The blaster was "a bit like a paintball gun" but shot gel balls instead of paint, he said. His assistant manager filed a police report and later that day Mr Marshall made a statement to police. "It felt like a buyout, like they were just kind of paying it to go away," Mr Marshall said.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 05, 2026 18:08 UTC
Restoring a piece of history
New owner Wade Nicholson works on a shed at the historic Deborah Bay Lewis Cottage which he bought last year, while his builder’s dog Vivi peers through a window. Mr Nicholson said he was focused on restoring a "piece of West Harbour history". "We want to keep it as it was back when the Lewis family had it," he said. Mr Nicholson said he loved the history and the spot on the harbour where the cottage sat. The cottage was owned by the Lewis family, who have had a long association with Deborah Bay, starting with Robert and Emma Lewis, who arrived in Otago in the 1860s.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 05, 2026 17:41 UTC
Majority of NZ drug and alcohol users experience no negative effects, study shows
But the general perception of how harmful they are doesn’t line up with the experience of many users. It has a very high profile in terms of the media and popular consciousness, but based on our initial findings, it’s one of the lower-risk drugs,” Wilkins told the Herald. The latter would factor in prevalence of use, which was a major contributor to alcohol topping a New Zealand-specific drug harm index in a 2023 study; “harm to others” formed a bigger share of overall alcohol harm in the study than “individual harm”. Driving problems also rated low, and Wilkins noted reports the drug is sometimes used to help tired drivers stay alert. Wilkins believed people assumed, incorrectly, that those who used drugs were unreliable.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 05, 2026 17:34 UTC
Fiordland boaties rescued after iPhone satellite emergency text alert
Afternoon Headlines | U.S strikes Venezuelan capital and captures Maduro, Manage My Health data platform hacked | Monday January 5, 2025Already a subscriber? Sign in hereAccess to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Two men were rescued in Fiordland after police were alerted to their plight by a communications centre in the Netherlands. The boaties were on a fishing trip south of Milford Sound when the batteries in their boat failed on Saturday evening and left them stranded. “The pair were able to use their iPhone satellite emergency text system to message for help,” Invercargill Police Search and Rescue co-ordinator Sergeant Dougall Henderson said.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 05, 2026 17:06 UTC
Return equipment, HNZ pleads
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGESHealth New Zealand Southern staff are asking former patients to return overdue equipment — no questions asked. It costs HNZ thousands of dollars every year and many patients have to wait for suitable equipment. Unit manager Kristen Dickson said she understood people intended to return the equipment but sometimes did not get around to it. — In Mosgiel, Mosgiel Health Centre. — In the Queenstown Lakes district, Lakes District Hospital.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 05, 2026 17:02 UTC
Overnight closures for parts of SH1 in city next week
ODT GRAPHICOvernight closures are scheduled for parts of State Highway 1 in Dunedin from next week for roadworks. NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) said crews would excavate parts of the road surface and replace it with new asphalt. Work would begin this Sunday on the southbound lanes of Castle St, between St Andrew St and Stuart St. Similar work would happen on the southbound lanes of the Dunedin Southern Motorway at Fairfield from Monday next week. Resurfacing of the motorway’s southbound lanes at Green Island was due to start on Sunday, January 18.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 05, 2026 17:01 UTC
Refugee sex offender denied parole
Sarmad Milhim has been denied parole after being in jail for filming his sex attack on a woman as her child protested. PHOTO: ODT FILESA refugee who filmed himself sexually abusing a woman as her child protested has been declined parole. Parole Board panel convener Judge M. Crosbie said the facts of the case were "as serious as they are troubling". Judge Crosbie said the Otago Corrections Facility inmate’s comments around his level of intoxication and belief in consent were very concerning. The board heard Milhim intended to get back together with a former partner but it was clear that person had not been informed of the reason behind his incarceration.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 05, 2026 17:01 UTC
Shortage of sun in South over peak holiday period
The Hendl, Roy, McMillan, Cunninghame and Clark families from Southland are enjoying their summer holiday in Alexandra, including playing on the water at Lake Dunstan. PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERYThe long-awaited summer in the South is taking its time arriving, especially in Dunedin, where cloud and a lack of sunshine marked the peak holiday period. In the period from Christmas Eve to January 1, when most of us are on holiday, sunshine was a rare occurrence in the South. Things were slightly more promising in Alexandra, which was just above the long-term average for sunshine hours though there was just over four hours of sunshine on December 30. MetService recorded just 1.6 sunshine hours on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day had 3.8 hours and there was just over an hour on January 2.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 05, 2026 17:01 UTC
Melbourne motorist lucky to be alive after brick hurled at her vehicle from motorway overbridge
The driver of this vehicle sustained minor injuries after someone threw a brick at their vehicle from a bridge. Melbourne motorist lucky to be alive after brick hurled at her vehicle from motorway overbridgeThe driver of this vehicle sustained minor injuries after someone threw a brick at their vehicle from a bridge. Photo / Victoria PoliceA Melbourne woman was left with glass fragments in her eyes after a large brick was thrown at her vehicle from a motorway overbridge. Police said three young people seen atop the bridge from which the bricks were hurled remained at large. Attending paramedics treated one female passenger at the scene after glass from a smashed windscreen entered her eyes.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 05, 2026 16:56 UTC
Festival-goers $800 out of pocket after shuttle service no show for Rhythm and Alps
His family had booked rides with the shuttle service, Wana Taxi, in the past and had no issues. After asking around other local taxi companies, Josh said nobody had heard from the owner of Wana Taxi in months. The group had to fork out another $40 per person to get bus tickets to and from the festival instead. The Herald has attempted to contact Wana Taxi, but the company’s phone number appears to be disconnected. The group had prepaid money so they could get to Rhythm and Alps in Cardrona Valley.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 05, 2026 16:40 UTC
Woman arrested at airport after 22kg of meth found in luggage
The woman arrived at Auckland International Airport from Singapore. File photo: RNZBy Finn Blackwell of RNZA woman has been charged with bringing more than 20 kilograms of meth into the country in her checked luggage. The 33-year-old was arrested at Auckland International airport on Sunday. Court documents claim she arrived on a flight from Singapore with roughly 22kg of methamphetamine. Court documents show the woman was both unemployed and had no fixed abode.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 05, 2026 16:11 UTC