Dunedin drug trafficker ‘middleman’ pleads guilty to role in $27m cocaine plot

Video / NZ HeraldThe middleman for an international drug cartel involved in a $27 million cocaine plot which terminated in Dunedin has pleaded guilty. The Portuguese national pleaded guilty to attempting to take possession of the class-A drug for the purpose of supply and will be sentenced in May. On August 3, 2022, the 254m container ship Spirit of Auckland was transiting through Philadelphia when authorities seized two duffel bags containing 91kg of cocaine from an intake grate under the vessel. Matthew Hodder: Photo / Rob KiddThe duo tested equipment, including an underwater scooter, and carried out reconnaissance on Spirit of Auckland. As Spirit of Auckland entered the shipping channel, Ferreira-Sampaio used a radio to inform Hodder of its progress.