The final person connected to one of the country's largest-ever cocaine smuggling busts has been deported after serving a prison sentence.
Four foreign nationals were arrested in October 2017 after the transnational syndicate attempted to import $20 million worth of cocaine concealed in the hull of a container ship at the Port of Tauranga.
The quartet – two Australian nationals, a Serbian national and a Croatian – were sentenced in 2020 to lengthy prison terms.
Last weekend, a Croatian national convicted for his role in the drug‑trafficking and money‑laundering syndicate was deported by Immigration New Zealand's compliance team.
Immigration NZ national manager compliance Fadia Mudafar said it was a "complex deportation operation that required extensive coordination across multiple agencies and international jurisdictions".
"Despite unexpected challenges, our teams worked closely with overseas partners to ensure this individual was successfully returned to Croatia."
The deportation required careful planning due to a combination of diplomatic, security and medical complexities. With no Croatian Embassy in New Zealand, Immigration NZ worked with the Italian Embassy in Wellington to secure a European Union emergency travel document. Travel plans were further complicated by the evolving situation in the Middle East, requiring last‑minute route changes and multiple international transit approvals.
Three others linked to the same operation – two Australian nationals and one Serbian national – were deported after completing their sentences in January 2023, September 2024, and November 2025 respectively.
Mudafar said deportation was a "critical part of protecting New Zealand, ensuring that foreign nationals who commit serious crimes are removed once they have completed their sentences".
"Transnational criminal groups should expect immigration settings to be firmly enforced after sentencing, limiting their ability to operate in New Zealand."
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