Customs has seized illegal drugs with a street value of tens of million of dollars and 11 people have been arrested in an operation targeting psychoactive substances.
Operation Static, which ran from February until this month, resulted in the seizure of more than 500kg of Class A, B and C drugs, controlled medicines and a range of synthetic cannabinoids and drug analogues.
The Class C analogues and unknown powders seized by Customs under Operation Static. Photo: CUSTOMS
Customs Minister Maurice Williamson says he hopes the successful operation sends a clear warning to would-be importers of illegal drugs.
He congratulated Customs, saying the 80kg of Class C analogues seized - including ecstacy mimic methylone - alone had a street value of $21 million.
"The harm prevented from keeping these analogues away from communities has been calculated at $32 million."
Drug harm is defined as the total social costs from harmful drug use. It includes crime, lost output, health service use and other diverted resources, such as Customs and Police time
