The sea has rejected on a New Zealand beach a cargo of cocaine with a resale value estimated at 1.7 million euros, the police said Thursday urging residents to find similar packages to give them authorities.

The discovery took place Wednesday night in Bethells Beach, west of Auckland, on the coast washed by the Tasman Sea. "Police have found 19 packages that have been determined to contain cocaine," said Inspector Colin Parmenter, who estimated the value of the cargo at $ 3 million worth of resale (1 , 7 million euros).

Local media reports that packages were contained in a net and the presence of shells suggest that they have been in the water for some time. "There is a small possibility that other packages arrive on the beach and we ask people to contact us immediately if they find any," added the inspector. "We will regularly send patrols to check if any packages have arrived."

In 2016, 500 kilograms of methamphetamine, for a resale value of NZD 500 million (EUR 287 million), were found on a beach in the far north of the country.