Cocaine worth €1.7 million washes up on New Zealand beach

19 packages have been recovered so far.

Cocaine with a street value of around €1.7m (NZ$3m) has washed up in packages on a wild New Zealand beach, This discovery of the packages of has sparked a major search for further drugs by police and local residents. Police out at the scene, who have been sweeping the area for drugs, have found 19 packages so far and there's the potential for even more to show up. "Police attended and located approximately 19 packages which testing has confirmed contained cocaine," said Det Insp Colin Parmenter of Waitematä police in a statement. "It is believed the amount found would have a street value of approximately $3 million. "Police with the assistance of NZ Customs have conducted a thorough search of the beach and surrounding areas in an effort to locate any further packages. "There is a small possibility that further packages may turn up on the beach and we ask any members of the public to contact us immediately if they do. “Eagle helicopter will be in the area today conducting a search of the wider area and we will be sending regular patrols in the coming days to continue to check for further washed up items,”Parmenter concluded.