Steve Symon: Ministerial Advisory Group for Organised Crime Chair on the increase in drugs being intercepted at the border

Organised crime groups likely still dictate New Zealand's drug market despite huge increases in seized product. 

Border drug busts jumped from 1.5 to 6.5 tonnes between 2018 and 2024. 

In the first nine weeks of 2026, more than 12 tonnes of cocaine was stopped in the Pacific. 

Chair of Ministerial Advisory Group for Organised Crime Steve Symon told Mike Hosking groups are stockpiling.  

He says they're getting enough drugs in so they can still control prices, even when there are disruptions. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I've got some depressing new drug stats for you. There's
something wrong with us in this country. More drugs were
seized at Auckland Airport in the first four months of
last year than all airports combined across twenty twenty four.
Can you believe that's so the first week's nine weeks
of this year, we've got so far more than twelve
tons of cocaine in the Pacific A line. So Steve
Simon is the chair of the Ministerial Advisory Group for
Organized Crime and he's back with there's Steve morning to you.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Good morning again.

Speaker 1 (00:23):
What does that Auckland thing mean? Does that mean security
is super hot and where yes, there's more of it,
but we're grabbing it all or we just don't know.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
A bit of both. It means that it's a vulnerable
port because you've got so much going through it, and
clearly it's seen as a target for organized crime. And
of course we've had this problem with baggage handlers, which
the authorities are trying to work on. But even once
to deal with that, they'll find organized crime will find

(00:52):
other ways to get it through.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
Are they literally flooding the market because we're suckers and
we pay so much for it. So if they send
in ten tons eight gets grabb their gear to throw
it a profit margin, they're laughing.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
At yes, looking at stockpiling. So what they're doing is
getting enough drugs so that if there is any interruption
to supply, they can still control the market, still control price.

Speaker 1 (01:17):
What's your sense of this. Are we in any way,
shape or form on top of it or not?

Speaker 2 (01:24):
And we're certainly doing some great work, you know what
the police and customs are doing. The effort they're put
to stop that quantity of drugs is really impressive, But
we just on the same position in terms of not
cracking the back of it. We're not getting in front
of organized crime. And as our Ministry Advisory Group suggested

(01:46):
that the only way you can do that is having
a truly coordinated effort by pulling up together all the
government agencies to work together.

Speaker 1 (01:52):
And is the specific thing a weak link or not?

Speaker 2 (01:56):
Yes. Geographically there are credibly vulnerable position. We've got drugs
coming from South America, North America, crossed down through the Pacific,
targeted towards Australia and New Zealand, and sadly that's had
very catastrophic effects for the Pacific nations.

Speaker 1 (02:14):
Oh dear, all right, Seed, listen good to catch up.
I mean, you know you're a nice guy to just
keep bringing into the bad news every time. Steve Simon,
who's the chair of the Ministerial Advisory Group for Organized Crime.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
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