Authorities have seen a phenomenal rise in the amount of MDMA being intercepted at New Zealand's border.

In 11 months of this year, Customs seized 703.5kg of the drug – more than seven times the 94.6kg seized last year.

The record quantity of MDMA – the active ingredient in recreational drugs such as ecstasy – was also 170 times the 4.1kg authorities found in 2015.

123RF Three per cent of respondents to the Global Drug Survey 2019 reported people used MDMA on 50 or more occasions in the last 12 months, most people report using MDMA on 10 or less occasions per year. (File photo)

"The amount of MDMA being seen here has gone through the roof and is a pretty significant attempt to create and meet a market here," said Jamie Bamford, group manager of Intelligence, Investigations and Enforcement at Customs NZ.

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"It's being manufactured in Europe, most likely originating from The Netherlands, they forever have been a major source for synthetic drugs."

The international criminal syndicates were targeting New Zealand and had links to organised crime here, he said.

Customs and police have officers working with law enforcement in Europe, he said, which has led to a lot of success.

From January to the end of November 2019, Customs made 2434 drug seizures at the border of various class A, B and C drugs.

Methamphetamine was the largest volume, followed by MDMA, methamphetamine precursors and then cocaine.

According to the police's national wastewater testing programme, MDMA was the second most commonly detected illicit drug across the country in quarter two of 2019 – with an estimated consumption rate of 5.7kg on average each week.

ROSS GIBLIN/STUFF/STUFF Detective Superintendent Greg Williams of the National Organised Crime Group said much of the MDMA that ends up in New Zealand originated from Europe.

MDMA use was most prevalent in the Southern Police District, closely followed by the Canterbury Police District.

Detective Superintendent Greg Williams, head of the National Organised Crime Group, said while people might view MDMA as a softer drug, "it's significant in its own right and with people wanting to use it, gangs are diversifying to meet that market".

"A number of groups from outside and inside New Zealand want to prey on our community and make vast profits, in fact recently, gangs came together to agree to keep the [street] price high," Williams said.

EXTRAORDINARILY HIGH DOSES

It's not just the prices that are high, a trend of mega-strength MDMA becoming more prevalent has been seen after warnings from Europe and the United Kingdom.

With names such as 'Putin' and 'Trump', the new breed of mega-dose ecstasy pills contain between two and three times the average dose of MDMA.

Some have been seen with an estimated dose of 400mg of MDMA – four times the average.

Wendy Allison, managing director of the drug awareness group KnowYourStuff, has seen increasing numbers and varieties of the higher dose product, and expects that trend to continue this summer.

The New Zealand Drug Foundation claims higher doses of MDMA do not appear to make the high any better but they do increase the risks of negative side effects.

For information and advice about the effects of drug use, visit its website www.drugfoundation.org.nz.

FOR ADDICTION:

Alcohol & Drug Helpline: alcoholdrughelp.org.nz / 0800 787 797

Alcoholics Anonymous: aa.org.nz