Sales of Methamphetamine in New Zealand is estimated to be $1.25 Billion (1.5 Billion New Zealand Dollars) a year.
Source: Elaine O’Connor, “Meth smuggling ring with New Zealand-Vancouver link busted,” Province, February 26, 2013.
New Zealand Crime Statistics
Latest news about crime and security in New Zealand. Information about the black market is collected from international organizations, intelligence reports, national security agencies and news articles.
All Black Market Data.
The New Zealand Reserve Bank reported that the amount of counterfeit money in circulation within the country was about 1 bank note in a million. The amount of counterfeit money detected in circulation was down from the three in a million rate reported in 2011.
In total, about 136 million counterfeit banknotes, ranging from 5 to 100 bills, are in circulation in New Zealand.
The rate of fake notes is low in comparison with international counterfeiting rates, which typically range between 50 to 100 fake notes per million.
Source: James Weir, “Counterfeit cash a rare find in NZ,” Stuff.co.nz, January 1, 2013.
In 2012, corrections officials in New Zealand handled 1,300 finds of tobacco and smoking equipment in the first half of the year, and 1,100 finds of smoking materials in the second half of the year.
Due to a smoking ban in prison enacted in July 2011, cigarettes within New Zealand’s prison system now has the same black market value as illegal drugs.
Source: “Smoking ban and corruption linked in prisons,” Radio New Zealand, December 25, 2012.
Financial crimes experts in New Zealand estimate that the amount of money laundered each year within the country to be between $819 Million to $3.2 Billion (1 Billion New Zealand Dollars to 4 Billion New Zealand Dollars).
According to Transparency International, New Zealand is one of the least corrupt countries in the world.
Source: Ben Chapman-Smith, “Dirty money laws ‘tricky’ for small players – lawyer,” New Zealand Herald, December 3, 2012.
As of 2012, there were over 40 different street gangs estimated to be active in New Zealand. One police association estimates that up to 6,000 members are considered full-time members, with an additional 66,000 associate members who are active in gang behavior.
Around 40 percent of the inmates in one prison are members of a gang, with a large portion of gang members being Maori or Pacific Islanders.
Despite consisting of 15 percent of the population of New Zealand, Maoris and Pacific Islanders represent up to 50 percent of the prison population.
Source: Rebecca Kesby, “New Zealand gangs: The Mongrel Mob and other urban outlaws,” BBC News, September 25, 2012.
In August 2011, the number of times that Internet users in New Zealand viewed pirated movies online was 110,000. After a change in law where pirated content users could be fined up to $11,980 (15,000 New Zealand Dollars), the number of online views of pirated movies dropped to 50,000 in September 2011.
Up to 41 percent of all Internet users in New Zealand access pirated content online. 28 percent of all Internet users worldwide access pirated content online.
Source: “Four in 10 Kiwis still flout piracy laws,” TV NZ, July 23, 2012.
Australia and New Zealand are reported to have the highest number of illegal drug use in the world, according to the 2012 World Drug Report published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
According to media reports, people in Australia and New Zealand consume more cocaine and marijuana at a higher rate than any other country in the world. Between 9.1 and 14.6 percent of the population in the two countries use cannabis, compared to the global usage rate of 2.6 to 5.0 percent.
In New Zealand, the black market in marijuana generates $98 Million back in 2002.
The drug trade in Australia is estimated to be worth $5.5 Billion.
Source: Paul Toohey, “Aussies the biggest recreational drug users in the world – report,” Herald Sun, June 27, 2012.
According to a study published in The Lancet, Australia and New Zealand has the highest number of marijuana users in the world.
As much as 15 percent of the population of the two countries between the ages 15 and 64 used marijuana in 2009, the highest rate in the world. By comparison, 11 percent of North Americans and 2.5 percent of people in Asia used marijuana.
Source: Matt Siegal, “Marijuana Use Most Rampant in Australia, Study Finds,” New York Times, January 6, 2012.
The Justice Ministry reported that New Zealand shell companies launder and estimated $1.16 Billion (1.5 New Zealand Dollars) of illicit funds generated by organized crime each year.
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand identified around 1,000 New Zealand limited partnerships and companies that may be used for money laundering activities in foreign off-shore accounts.
Source: Michael Field, “Organised crime exploiting NZ company law,” Sunday Star Times, stuff.co.nz, December 4, 2011.
In 2010, the average price of ecstasy in Auckland, New Zealand was $34 per pill (41 New Zealand Dollar), down from the average price of $41 (50 New Zealand Dollar) in 2009.
Source: Martin Johnson, “Survey: ecstasy use up, meth down,” New Zealand Herald, September 8, 2011.
