Drug traffickers have their eyes on New Zealand as Customs deals with a massive influx in border seizures. 

A Cabinet paper shows the volume of intercepted drugs more than quadrupled between 2018 and 2024, going from 1.5 to 6.5 tonnes. 

Drug Detection Agency Chief Executive Glen Dobson told Ryan Bridge officials are stepping up.  

He says we're being actively targeted by organised crime groups, and recommends greater cross-agency consultation.  

But Dobson says greater seizures are also a success. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

Drug traffickers have their eyes on New Zealand as Customs deals with a massive influx in border seizures.&nbsp;
A Cabinet paper shows the volume of intercepted drugs more than quadrupled between 2018 and 2024, going from 1.5 to 6.5 tonnes.&nbsp;
Drug Detection Agency Chief Executive Glen Dobson told Ryan Bridge officials are stepping up. &nbsp;
He says we're being actively targeted by organised crime groups, and recommends greater cross-agency consultation. &nbsp;
But Dobson says greater seizures are also a success.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.

A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.

Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Glen Dobson: Drug Detection Agency CEO on the exponential increase in seized drugs at the border

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/0218f891-3082-4b99-9880-b426016af6f7/transcript

Emergency Management Minister, Mark Mitchell, says Cyclone Vaianu could've been much worse - and Kiwis prepared well. 

Gisborne and some other East Coast communities are still cut off with sections of State Highways 2 and 35 closed, due to fallen trees, flooding and slips. 

The last of MetService's strong wind warnings and watches for Wairarapa and the Tararua District are set to ease at 7 this morning.

Mark Mitchell told Ryan Bridge several thousand houses were evacuated across the North Island.

He says some of them have flooded, but a lot were precautionary evacuations - which was the right thing to do.

Emergency Management Minister, Mark Mitchell, says Cyclone Vaianu could've been much worse - and Kiwis prepared well.&nbsp;
Gisborne and some other East Coast communities are still cut off with sections of State Highways 2 and 35 closed, due to fallen trees, flooding and slips.&nbsp;
The last of MetService's strong wind warnings and watches for Wairarapa and the Tararua District are set to ease at 7 this morning.
Mark Mitchell told Ryan Bridge several thousand houses were evacuated across the North Island.
He says some of them have flooded, but a lot were precautionary evacuations - which was the right thing to do.

Mark Mitchell: Emergency Management Minister on Cyclone Vaianu

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/a0eb0d4c-37c5-47ab-bbb2-b42a012e2def/transcript

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Monday 13th of April 2025, Former CIA Intelligence Officer Glenn Carle shares his thoughts on the US failing to make a peace deal with Iran. 

Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell tells Ryan whether or not we dodged a bullet with Cyclone Vaianu. 

Andrew Alderson has the latest on the weekend's sport. 

Plus UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on suggestion blockade in the strait of Hormuz may be enforced by allies of the US and Hungary goes to the polls today with the EU secretly hoping the incumbent Prime Minister loses power.

Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.          

LISTEN ABOVE  

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Monday 13th of April 2025, Former CIA Intelligence Officer Glenn Carle shares his thoughts on the US failing to make a peace deal with Iran.&nbsp;
Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell tells Ryan whether or not we dodged a bullet with Cyclone Vaianu.&nbsp;
Andrew Alderson has the latest on the weekend's sport.&nbsp;
Plus UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on suggestion blockade in the strait of Hormuz may be enforced by allies of the US and Hungary goes to the polls today with the EU secretly hoping the incumbent Prime Minister loses power.
Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE &nbsp;

Full Show Podcast: 13 April 2026 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/6ad61c88-c634-42e1-a42e-b42a012b04c0/transcript

The storm for the most of the North Island was a fizzer.

The TV news struggled to find pictures of anything actually happening other than a few trees down and reporters breathlessly doing pieces to camera in the wind.

In Auckland where I live most shops were closed and they didn’t need to be.

There is a risk of the boy who cried wolf.

But I also don’t think need to have an existential national conversation about whether this was over-hyped.

The forecasters do their thing. They tell you what is coming. Or their best guess of what's coming. Then it’s up to us to make our own decisions based on the information, our own experience and personal judgement.

The businesses who decided to close yesterday before anything had actually happened lost a day's trade. The one's who didn't, didn't. 

Maybe next time they’ll make a different call. After all, Auckland was only under an orange watch.

The media coverage was over the top. It always is. Remember they make money off events like this. Eyeballs on screens. I noticed before every video on the stuff site yesterday showing ocean lapping at sand dune, there was an ad for Tower Insurance playing. 

They do what they do.

But you can’t tell MetService to not to report the weather. 

They’re damned if they do and damned if they don’t.

We’re all responsible for our own lives. Ultimately we can decide if we’re safe enough to stay home or go to get a flat white from the local Robert Harris.

And if you want to go out kite-surfing or surfin in their storm, all power to ya. You might die, or you might have an awesome Sunday, wither way it'll be your informed choice to do so.

The storm for the most of the North Island was a fizzer.
The TV news struggled to find pictures of anything actually happening other than a few trees down and reporters breathlessly doing pieces to camera in the wind.
In Auckland where I live most shops were closed and they didn’t need to be.
There is a risk of the boy who cried wolf.
But I also don’t think need to have an existential national conversation about whether this was over-hyped.
The forecasters do their thing. They tell you what is coming. Or their best guess of what's coming. Then it’s up to us to make our own decisions based on the information, our own experience and personal judgement.
The businesses who decided to close yesterday before anything had actually happened lost a day's trade. The one's who didn't, didn't.&nbsp;
Maybe next time they’ll make a different call. After all, Auckland was only under an orange watch.
The media coverage was over the top. It always is. Remember they make money off events like this. Eyeballs on screens. I noticed before every video on the stuff site yesterday showing ocean lapping at sand dune, there was an ad for Tower Insurance playing.&nbsp;
They do what they do.
But you can’t tell MetService to not to report the weather.&nbsp;
They’re damned if they do and damned if they don’t.
We’re all responsible for our own lives. Ultimately we can decide if we’re safe enough to stay home or go to get a flat white from the local Robert Harris.
And if you want to go out kite-surfing or surfin in their storm, all power to ya. You might die, or you might have an awesome Sunday, wither way it'll be your informed choice to do so.

Ryan Bridge: Did we over hype Cyclone Vaianau?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/e1e66fee-3b19-40f7-ac71-b42a012ba8f1/transcript

Glen Dobson: Drug Detection Agency CEO on the exponential increase in seized drugs at the border

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