The container was flagged for inspection before its 26 October arrival. Photo: Port Otago
Cocaine worth about $12.25 million has been seized from a shipping container at Dunedin's Port Chalmers.
Officers seized 35kg cocaine packed into bricks branded with designer sports fashion label Lacoste, Customs said.
The class-A drug came from South America and was hidden inside a shipping container's refrigeration unit.
The container had been flagged for inspection, before it arrived in Port Chalmers on 26 October.
Maritime manager Robert Smith said Customs was putting pressure on criminals across New Zealand's maritime border, not just at the largest seaports.
"While Auckland and Tauranga are often perceived as primary entry points for illicit goods, we know that transnational, serious and organised crime will attempt to exploit every port," Smith said.
"This is the first major cocaine intercept of its kind for our Dunedin team and I'm immensely proud of their work."
Customs could not confirm if any arrests had been made nor comment on the intended destination of the drugs.
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