Concerns are mounting over the effectiveness of drug enforcement efforts in New Zealand following a sharp rise in cocaine use and continued large-scale drug imports. The move aims to disrupt South American cartels increasingly using Pacific routes to traffic drugs into the country. The announcement comes amid new police wastewater testing data, which revealed a 98% spike in cocaine use during the final quarter of 2025. According to him, wastewater data suggests that those already using methamphetamine are doing so more frequently, as reported by Stuff. “If enforcement is working, why are more drugs flowing into the country?”, Stuff has quoted.

Source: Stuff March 28, 2026 12:56 UTC