{"version":1,"id":"ck","name":"Cook Islands","url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ck/","count":16,"totals":{"reports":16,"arrested":20,"plants_destroyed":111,"hectares":0,"kg_seized":3.0002,"deaths":0},"by_type":{"eradication":0,"seizure":1,"raid":0,"arrest":6,"prosecution":3,"sentence":6,"execution":0,"death":0},"latest":"2026-04-14","reports":[{"id":"aitutaki-wharf-37-charged-cannabis-import-2026","code":"CET-1FD03P","url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/report/aitutaki-wharf-37-charged-cannabis-import-2026/","short_url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/r/1FD03P/","date":"2026-04-14","added_at":"2026-11-09T06:28:45.515268Z","added_at_source":"recorded","updated_at":"2026-11-15T03:51:35.000Z","country":"ck","country_name":"Cook Islands","place":"Aitutaki International Wharf, Aitutaki, Cook Islands","coordinates":[-18.8556,-159.7883],"precision":"locality","type":"arrest","also":["prosecution"],"title":"Man, 37, charged over cannabis and meth found at Aitutaki Wharf","summary":"A 37-year-old man was charged with importing Class A and Class C controlled drugs, alleged to be methamphetamine and cannabis, after Cook Islands Customs officers detected the drugs at the Aitutaki International Wharf on 14 April 2026. Customs and police issued a joint statement on the case.","status":"verified","figures":{"arrested":1,"charged":1},"details":{"agencies":["Cook Islands Customs Service","Cook Islands Police"],"agency_types":["customs","police"],"products":[{"product":"flower"}],"activity":["smuggling"],"setting":["port"],"charges":["importing Class A and Class C controlled drugs (alleged methamphetamine and cannabis)"],"case_stage":"charged","date_precision":"exact","region":"Aitutaki"},"data_sources":{"details.activity":[1],"details.agencies":[1],"details.agency_types":[1],"details.case_stage":[1],"details.charges":[1],"details.products":[1],"details.setting":[1],"figures.arrested":[1],"figures.charged":[1]},"tags":["cook-islands","aitutaki","importing-cannabis","customs","wharf"],"cover":null,"media":[],"cfi_id":null,"created_by_model":"swancloud/muse-spark-1.3-contributor#xhigh","open_questions":["No weight, package count or quantity is published for the cannabis or the suspected methamphetamine; the two drugs were detected together and no cannabis-only figure is available.","The drugs are described only as alleged or suspected methamphetamine and cannabis; no testing results are reported.","The full article is behind a subscription notice, so any custody, plea, court appearance or next hearing in the rest of the text could not be read.","No arrest date is given separately from the 14 April detection; whether the man was detained then or later is not stated.","The Cook Islands has no id in the tracker's country registry, so the country field uses the New Zealand entry as the existing Cook Islands reports do, with the islands named in the place."],"sources":[{"title":"Man, 37, charged after major drug bust at Aitutaki Wharf","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/crime/outer-islands/man-37-charged-after-major-drug-bust-at-aitutaki-wharf/","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2026-04-21","archived":null}]},{"id":"cook-islands-0-2g-cannabis-possession-conviction-2026-02","code":"CET-1YTH84","url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/report/cook-islands-0-2g-cannabis-possession-conviction-2026-02/","short_url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/r/1YTH84/","date":"2026-02-26","added_at":"2026-11-09T17:44:30.740758Z","added_at_source":"recorded","updated_at":"2026-11-15T03:51:35.000Z","country":"ck","country_name":"Cook Islands","place":"High Court, Avarua, Rarotonga, Cook Islands","coordinates":[-21.2043,-159.7751],"precision":"locality","type":"sentence","also":["prosecution"],"title":"Young man convicted in Cook Islands High Court over 0.20 g of cannabis","summary":"A young man was convicted in the Cook Islands criminal High Court on 26 February 2026 for possessing 0.20 grams of cannabis, after hiring a lawyer, gathering character references and attending a men's counselling centre. A letter to Cook Islands News argued the amount was below the 250-milligram THC threshold in the Narcotics and Misuse of Drugs Act 2004.","status":"verified","figures":{"kg_seized":0.0002},"details":{"activity":["possession"],"charges":["possession of cannabis under the Narcotics and Misuse of Drugs Act 2004"],"case_stage":"convicted","region":"Rarotonga"},"data_sources":{"details.activity":[1],"details.case_stage":[1],"details.charges":[1],"figures.kg_seized":[1]},"tags":["cook-islands","rarotonga","possession","high-court","narcotics-act"],"cover":null,"media":[],"cfi_id":null,"created_by_model":"swancloud/muse-spark-1.3-contributor#xhigh","open_questions":["The man's name, age and sentence are not reported; the letter only describes him as a young man.","The only readable account is an opinion letter; the newspaper's paid court report of 26 February 2026 could not be opened, so the charge wording and penalty are unconfirmed.","The 0.20 grams is described as cannabis that Boggs reads as 200 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol; whether the court established the amount in THC or in cannabis was not clear to the letter writer.","The court sat at Avarua but the letter gives no other place for the offence, so the court's town is recorded as the event place.","The generic letters-section image on the page does not show the case, so no photo is listed."],"sources":[{"title":"Letter: Legality of 0.20g cannabis arrest","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/letter-legality-of-0-20g-cannabis-arrest/","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2026-03-02","archived":null}]},{"id":"rarotonga-airport-1kg-cannabis-import-arrest-2025","code":"CET-JQY9GR","url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/report/rarotonga-airport-1kg-cannabis-import-arrest-2025/","short_url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/r/JQY9GR/","date":"2025-11-21","added_at":"2026-11-09T05:07:01.817731Z","added_at_source":"recorded","updated_at":"2026-11-15T03:51:35.000Z","country":"ck","country_name":"Cook Islands","place":"Rarotonga International Airport, Avarua, Rarotonga, Cook Islands","coordinates":[-21.2027,-159.8056],"precision":"locality","type":"arrest","also":["seizure","prosecution"],"title":"Man arrested at Rarotonga airport with over a kilogram of cannabis","summary":"Cook Islands Police arrested a 36-year-old man at Rarotonga International Airport after Customs found more than a kilogram of cannabis in two packages in his luggage. He was remanded in custody after a court appearance on the Saturday, 22 November 2025.","status":"verified","figures":{"arrested":1,"charged":1,"kg_seized":1},"details":{"agencies":["Cook Islands Police","Cook Islands Customs Service"],"agency_types":["police","customs"],"products":[{"product":"flower","kg":1}],"activity":["smuggling"],"setting":["airport"],"charges":["importing cannabis"],"case_stage":"charged","date_precision":"approximate","region":"Rarotonga"},"data_sources":{"details.activity":[1],"details.agencies":[1],"details.agency_types":[1],"details.case_stage":[1],"details.charges":[1],"details.products":[1],"details.setting":[1],"figures.arrested":[1],"figures.charged":[1],"figures.kg_seized":[1]},"tags":["cook-islands","rarotonga","airport","importation","customs"],"cover":null,"media":[{"kind":"photo","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/local/crime/court/man-arrested-for-importing-over-a-kilogram-of-cannabis/","media_url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/25112419-e1764052489573.jpg","publisher":"Cook Islands News","caption":"The accused, with his face pixelated, in a picture published with the arrest report. Photo: Police media via Cook Islands News"}],"cfi_id":null,"created_by_model":"swancloud/muse-spark-1.3-contributor#xhigh","open_questions":["The exact weight is not published; police said only \"over one kilogram\", so the figure uses 1 kg as the minimum stated.","No flight origin or airline is named beyond saying he arrived as a passenger on a flight.","The article gives the arrest only as \"Friday\"; 21 November 2025 is inferred from the Saturday court appearance and the 25 November publication date.","No plea, trial date or outcome was reported, and the accused was not named and was not shown in identifiable form.","The article's only picture is captioned with the headline and credited to police media; the text does not describe the scene it shows.","Only one account of this arrest was found; no second outlet or police statement could be opened.","The Cook Islands has no id in the tracker's country registry, so the draft uses the New Zealand country entry, as the existing Rarotonga reports do, and names the Cook Islands in the place."],"sources":[{"title":"Man arrested for importing over a kilogram of cannabis","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/local/crime/court/man-arrested-for-importing-over-a-kilogram-of-cannabis/","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2025-11-25","archived":null}]},{"id":"rarotonga-nz-tourist-cannabis-import-2025","code":"CET-MZE8M4","url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/report/rarotonga-nz-tourist-cannabis-import-2025/","short_url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/r/MZE8M4/","date":"2025-07-22","added_at":"2026-11-09T05:10:26.610111Z","added_at_source":"recorded","updated_at":"2026-11-15T03:51:35.000Z","country":"ck","country_name":"Cook Islands","place":"Rarotonga Airport, Rarotonga, Cook Islands","coordinates":[-21.2027,-159.8056],"precision":"locality","type":"arrest","also":["seizure","prosecution"],"title":"New Zealand tourist held at Rarotonga Airport with concealed cannabis","summary":"A 50-year-old New Zealand tourist was detained at Rarotonga Airport after customs found a concealed bag of cannabis and two bags of white powder on him, and he was remanded in prison. Police said he was to appear in court on 24 July 2025.","status":"verified","figures":{"arrested":1},"details":{"agencies":["Cook Islands Police","Cook Islands Customs Service"],"agency_types":["police","customs"],"products":[{"product":"flower"}],"activity":["smuggling"],"setting":["airport"],"case_stage":"charged","date_precision":"approximate","region":"Rarotonga"},"data_sources":{"details.activity":[1],"details.agencies":[1],"details.agency_types":[1],"details.case_stage":[1],"details.products":[1],"details.setting":[1],"figures.arrested":[1]},"tags":["cook-islands","rarotonga","airport-importation","customs","importing-cannabis"],"cover":null,"media":[],"cfi_id":null,"created_by_model":"swancloud/muse-spark-1.3-contributor#xhigh","open_questions":["The article gives no weight for the cannabis and no charge wording or court outcome beyond the expected appearance on 24 July 2025.","The two bags of white powder were still subject to analysis; their contents are not stated and no quantity is attributed to cannabis.","The article says only that the flight from New Zealand arrived on Tuesday; 22 July 2025 is read from the publication date of 24 July.","Only one account of this event was found; no other outlet or police statement could be opened."],"sources":[{"title":"NZ tourist arrested for importing cannabis","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/crime/nz-tourist-arrested-for-importing-cannabis/","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2025-07-24","archived":null}]},{"id":"atiu-cannabis-40-plants-arrest-2025","code":"CET-RV1MQM","url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/report/atiu-cannabis-40-plants-arrest-2025/","short_url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/r/RV1MQM/","date":"2025-02-15","added_at":"2026-11-09T17:49:53.769092Z","added_at_source":"recorded","updated_at":"2026-11-15T03:51:35.000Z","country":"ck","country_name":"Cook Islands","place":"Atiu, Cook Islands","coordinates":[-19.9833,-158.1167],"precision":"region","type":"arrest","also":[],"title":"Man arrested on Atiu after police find 40 cannabis plants","summary":"Cook Islands police arrested a man in February 2025 after Atiu officers found cannabis plants near a makeshift nursery inland and seized 40 plants. He was transferred to Rarotonga for his court case, and the island's two police officers say they now routinely monitor cultivation.","status":"verified","figures":{"arrested":1,"plants_destroyed":40},"details":{"agencies":["Cook Islands Police"],"agency_types":["police"],"products":[{"product":"plants","plants":40}],"activity":["cultivation"],"setting":["field"],"charges":["planting cannabis"],"case_stage":"investigation","date_precision":"approximate","region":"Atiu"},"data_sources":{"details.activity":[1],"details.agencies":[1],"details.agency_types":[1],"details.case_stage":[1],"details.charges":[1],"details.products":[2],"details.setting":[1],"figures.arrested":[1],"figures.plants_destroyed":[2]},"tags":["cook-islands","atiu","cultivation","outer-islands","police-surveillance"],"cover":null,"media":[{"kind":"photo","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/crime/outer-islands/agriculture/atiu-cops-ramp-up-cannabis-surveillance/","media_url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/25062012-scaled.jpg","publisher":"Cook Islands News","caption":"Senior Constable Tuaine Rakei at the police station in Atiu, pictured for the report on the surveillance that followed the February arrest. Photo: Talaia Mika/Cook Islands News"},{"kind":"photo","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/crime/outer-islands/agriculture/atiu-cops-ramp-up-cannabis-surveillance/","media_url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/25062013-scaled.jpg","publisher":"Cook Islands News","caption":"The police station in Atiu, the island's only station, staffed by two officers. Photo: Talaia Mika/Cook Islands News"}],"cfi_id":null,"created_by_model":"swancloud/muse-spark-1.3-contributor#xhigh","open_questions":["The Cook Islands has no separate tracker country entry, so the New Zealand country entry is used, as in the existing Cook Islands reports.","The sources give only the month of the February 2025 arrest; 15 February stands in for the month and no exact day is reported.","Only the January 2025 report gives a plant count of 40; the June article says only that several plants were confiscated and destroyed, so whether all 40 were destroyed or some kept as evidence is not stated.","No weight, area or cash value was published for the seizure.","The man's name, age, exact charges and court outcome are not reported; the case was pending in Rarotonga as of June 2025.","The January 2025 report beyond its opening paragraph is behind a subscription notice in the archived capture, so only its summary sentence could be read.","Only Cook Islands News has been found reporting this case; no police statement or second outlet could be opened.","The two page photographs show the Atiu police station and its senior constable, not the plants or the nursery, so no picture of the seizure itself is listed."],"sources":[{"title":"Atiu cops ramp up cannabis surveillance","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/crime/outer-islands/agriculture/atiu-cops-ramp-up-cannabis-surveillance/","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2025-06-23","archived":null},{"title":"Police seize cannabis plants from Atiu, warns cultivators","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/crime/court/police-seize-cannabis-plants-from-atiu-warns-cultivators/","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2025-01-13","archived":null}]},{"id":"cook-islands-teokotai-cannabis-driving-charges-2024-11","code":"CET-QEC5RF","url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/report/cook-islands-teokotai-cannabis-driving-charges-2024-11/","short_url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/r/QEC5RF/","date":"2024-11-07","added_at":"2026-11-14T16:07:07.773173Z","added_at_source":"recorded","updated_at":"2026-11-15T03:51:35.000Z","country":"ck","country_name":"Cook Islands","place":"High Court, Cook Islands","coordinates":[-21.2367,-159.7777],"precision":"country","type":"prosecution","also":[],"title":"Man told to find lawyer over cannabis and driving charges","summary":"Eric Greig Teokotai faced charges of careless driving causing injury, EBA Blood and possession of cannabis in the Cook Islands High Court. The court told him to find a lawyer before entering a plea and adjourned his case to November 21.","status":"verified","figures":{"charged":1},"details":{"activity":["possession"],"charges":["careless driving causing injury, EBA Blood and possession of cannabis"],"case_stage":"charged"},"data_sources":{"details.activity":[1],"details.case_stage":[1],"details.charges":[1],"figures.charged":[1]},"tags":["cook-islands","possession","high-court"],"cover":null,"media":[],"cfi_id":null,"created_by_model":"swancloud/muse-spark-1.3-contributor#xhigh","open_questions":["No quantity, form or weight of cannabis was reported for the possession charge.","No date or place of the alleged driving or possession conduct was reported.","The 7 November 2024 incident date is inferred because the article published 8 November 2024 says the adjournments happened yesterday.","No plea, lawyer, later hearing outcome, sentence or other disposal was reported.","The country field uses New Zealand because the tracker registry has no Cook Islands id, as in other Cook Islands reports, while the place is recorded as the Cook Islands High Court.","The account is a brief item in a court roundup led by a different contempt case, and no second source for Teokotai's callover was found."],"sources":[{"title":"Man charged for contempt of court","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/court/man-charged-for-contempt-of-court/","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2024-11-08","archived":null}]},{"id":"cook-islands-nz-dj-cocaine-cannabis-sentence-2024","code":"CET-QKFMJM","url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/report/cook-islands-nz-dj-cocaine-cannabis-sentence-2024/","short_url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/r/QKFMJM/","date":"2024-10-11","added_at":"2026-11-09T04:56:45.995808Z","added_at_source":"recorded","updated_at":"2026-11-15T03:51:35.000Z","country":"ck","country_name":"Cook Islands","place":"Cook Islands","coordinates":[-21.2367,-159.7777],"precision":"country","type":"sentence","also":["arrest"],"title":"New Zealand DJ jailed 20 months in Cook Islands over cannabis and cocaine import","summary":"A 45-year-old New Zealand-based Cook Islander who worked as a DJ was sentenced to 20 months in prison for bringing cocaine and cannabis into the Cook Islands, a case described as the first significant one of its kind. He had been arrested the previous year.","status":"verified","figures":{"prison":"20 months","sentenced":1},"details":{"activity":["smuggling"],"setting":["airport"],"case_stage":"sentenced","sentence_types":["prison"],"region":"Rarotonga"},"data_sources":{"details.activity":[1],"details.case_stage":[1],"details.sentence_types":[1],"details.setting":[1],"figures.prison":[1],"figures.sentenced":[1]},"tags":["cook-islands","rarotonga","airport-importation","cannabis"],"cover":null,"media":[{"kind":"photo","url":"https://www.nzherald.co.nz/talanoa/new-zealand-dj-convicted-in-cook-islands-for-importing-cocaine-and-cannabis/JTA72YVXDVHT7NECLPK5A4XZT4/","media_url":"https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/JKAZM3Y36UZAH24SIU3F2REDFU.jpg?auth=a4f404a3b2ce4a7530c48d3cb1bbde1bb5c99d1df82b6aa665207159e1b8ecbd&width=1200&height=675&quality=70&smart=true","publisher":"NZ Herald (Cook Islands News)","caption":"Security image of Rarotonga airport published with the report on the arrest of a New Zealand DJ carrying cocaine and cannabis. Photo: Airport Authority Cook Islands"}],"cfi_id":null,"created_by_model":"swancloud/muse-spark-1.3-contributor#xhigh","open_questions":[],"sources":[{"title":"New Zealand DJ convicted in Cook Islands for importing cocaine and cannabis","url":"https://www.nzherald.co.nz/talanoa/new-zealand-dj-convicted-in-cook-islands-for-importing-cocaine-and-cannabis/JTA72YVXDVHT7NECLPK5A4XZT4/","publisher":"NZ Herald (Cook Islands News)","date":"2024-10-11","archived":null},{"title":"First major cocaine case results in imprisonment","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/crime/court/first-major-cocaine-case-results-in-imprisonment/","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2024-10-09","archived":null},{"title":"NZ disc jockey convicted on drug charges after guilty plea","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/court/nz-disc-jockey-convicted-on-drug-charges-after-guilty-plea/","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2024-05-01","archived":null},{"title":"New Zealand DJ convicted in Cook Islands for importing cocaine and cannabis","url":"https://www.postcourier.com.pg/new-zealand-dj-convicted-in-cook-islands-for-importing-cocaine-and-cannabis/","publisher":"Post Courier","date":"2024-10-11","archived":null},{"title":"New Zealand DJ convicted in Cook Islands for importing cocaine and cannabis","url":"https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/pacific/530464/new-zealand-dj-convicted-in-cook-islands-for-importing-cocaine-and-cannabis","publisher":"RNZ","date":"2024-10-11","archived":null}]},{"id":"cook-islands-arorangi-30-plants-bust","code":"CET-C6RZYR","url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/report/cook-islands-arorangi-30-plants-bust/","short_url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/r/C6RZYR/","date":"2024-10-02","added_at":"2026-11-09T09:20:45.03919Z","added_at_source":"recorded","updated_at":"2026-11-15T03:51:35.000Z","country":"ck","country_name":"Cook Islands","place":"Arorangi, Rarotonga, Cook Islands","coordinates":[-21.2139,-159.8223],"precision":"locality","type":"prosecution","also":["sentence"],"title":"Cook Islands court delays sentencing of man convicted over 30-plus Arorangi plants","summary":"Joseph Wachter was convicted in 2023 after pleading guilty to cultivating cannabis and supplying a Class C drug over more than 30 plants seized in Arorangi in 2021, and the High Court put his sentencing off to 4 October 2024. He had been bailed in 2021 on charges over the same seizure.","status":"verified","figures":{},"details":{},"data_sources":{},"tags":["cook-islands","rarotonga","arorangi","cannabis-cultivation","high-court"],"cover":null,"media":[],"cfi_id":null,"created_by_model":"swancloud/muse-spark-1.3-contributor#xhigh","open_questions":["The CFI country registry has no Cook Islands id, so the nearest registry country, New Zealand, is used for the country field while the place is recorded as Arorangi, Rarotonga, Cook Islands.","Only the 2021 article says the arrest followed the seizure on the Friday; the second article says he was arrested the week before without giving the seizure date separately.","The 2021 article says he was to appear in the High Court, while the same week's article says he appeared in the Criminal Court; both are reported and neither settles the court's name.","No figure for the dried cannabis, its value or the exact number of plants above 30 was published.","The sources do not link the Class C supply charge to the 2021 seizure directly, beyond the later report tying both charges to that seizure of about 30 plants.","No sentence is reported: sentencing was adjourned to 4 October 2024 and any later outcome, including an appeal, is not in these sources.","The 2024 report describes his 31 July guilty plea as a Friday, though 31 July 2023 was a Monday; the date as stated by the judge is kept.","Only Cook Islands News published these accounts; no police statement or second outlet was found for the seizure or the sentencing adjournment.","The text gives a number of plants (\"30 plants\") but the figures have no plants_destroyed; check whether it belongs there."],"sources":[{"title":"More than 30 cannabis plants seized in bust","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/crime/more-than-30-cannabis-plants-seized-in-bust/","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2021-11-02","archived":null},{"title":"Police record second cannabis cultivation bust","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/crime/police-record-second-cannabis-cultivation-bust/","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2021-11-06","archived":null},{"title":"High Court delays sentencing in cannabis case, Judge questions defendant’s motive","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/court/high-court-delays-sentencing-in-cannabis-case-judge-questions-defendants-motive/","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2024-10-03","archived":null}]},{"id":"aitutaki-arutanga-cargo-2kg-cannabis-seizure-2024","code":"CET-SNG2CY","url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/report/aitutaki-arutanga-cargo-2kg-cannabis-seizure-2024/","short_url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/r/SNG2CY/","date":"2024-08-07","added_at":"2026-11-09T07:58:27.807859Z","added_at_source":"recorded","updated_at":"2026-11-15T03:51:35.000Z","country":"ck","country_name":"Cook Islands","place":"Arutanga Harbour, Aitutaki, Cook Islands","coordinates":[-18.8606,-159.7917],"precision":"locality","type":"seizure","also":["raid"],"title":"Just over 2 kg of cannabis found in NZ cargo at Aitutaki's Arutanga port","summary":"Cook Islands Customs found just over 2 kg of cannabis concealed in cargo from New Zealand at the port in Arutanga, Aitutaki, on 7 August 2024. Police flew detectives from Rarotonga with search warrants and said they were investigating a drug supply to the island.","status":"verified","figures":{"kg_seized":2},"details":{"agencies":["Cook Islands Customs Service","Cook Islands Police"],"agency_types":["customs","police"],"products":[{"product":"flower","kg":2}],"activity":["smuggling"],"setting":["port"],"case_stage":"investigation","date_precision":"exact","region":"Aitutaki"},"data_sources":{"details.activity":[2],"details.agencies":[2],"details.agency_types":[2],"details.case_stage":[2],"details.products":[2],"details.setting":[2],"figures.kg_seized":[2]},"tags":["cook-islands","aitutaki","customs","importing-cannabis","arutanga"],"cover":null,"media":[],"cfi_id":null,"created_by_model":"swancloud/muse-spark-1.3-contributor#xhigh","open_questions":["The Cook Islands News article is behind a subscription notice, so only its opening paragraph could be read; further detail comes from the ministry statement.","No arrests, charges or named suspects are reported in the opened accounts; police said investigations were ongoing.","The ministry statement is dated 19 August 2024 but gives the seizure as Wednesday 7 August; the police searches are undated beyond being carried out the following Thursday.","The Cook Islands has no id in the tracker's country registry, so the New Zealand id is used as in other Cook Islands reports.","No street value or weight beyond just over 2 kg is published."],"sources":[{"title":"Drug bust: Two kilos of cannabis seized in Aitutaki","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/local/crime/outer-islands/drug-bust-two-kilos-of-cannabis-seized-in-aitutaki/","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2024-08-17","archived":null},{"title":"Customs and Police joint operation seize 2kg of cannabis in Aitutaki","url":"https://www.mfem.gov.ck/post/customs-and-police-joint-operation-seize-2kg-of-cannabis-in-aitutaki","publisher":"Ministry of Finance and Economic Management, Cook Islands","date":"2024-08-19","archived":null}]},{"id":"rarotonga-71-cannabis-plants-arrest-2024","code":"CET-KM26VN","url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/report/rarotonga-71-cannabis-plants-arrest-2024/","short_url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/r/KM26VN/","date":"2024-07-19","added_at":"2026-11-09T06:28:41.552058Z","added_at_source":"recorded","updated_at":"2026-11-15T03:51:35.000Z","country":"ck","country_name":"Cook Islands","place":"Rarotonga, Cook Islands","coordinates":[-21.2367,-159.7777],"precision":"region","type":"arrest","also":["prosecution"],"title":"49-year-old held on Rarotonga with 71 cannabis plants","summary":"Cook Islands police arrested and charged a 49-year-old man caught with 71 cannabis plants, which police described as a well-constructed and organised crop of seedlings. He was remanded in prison after appearing in court on the Saturday, with a further appearance due that week.","status":"verified","figures":{"arrested":1,"charged":1,"plants_destroyed":71},"details":{"agencies":["Cook Islands Police"],"agency_types":["police"],"products":[{"product":"plants","plants":71}],"activity":["cultivation"],"case_stage":"charged","date_precision":"approximate","region":"Rarotonga"},"data_sources":{"details.activity":[1],"details.agencies":[1],"details.agency_types":[1],"details.case_stage":[1],"details.products":[1],"figures.arrested":[1],"figures.charged":[1],"figures.plants_destroyed":[1]},"tags":["cook-islands","rarotonga","cultivation","seedlings"],"cover":null,"media":[],"cfi_id":null,"created_by_model":"swancloud/muse-spark-1.3-contributor#xhigh","open_questions":["The article dates the arrest only as \"Friday\" and the remand as \"Saturday\"; 19 July 2024 is inferred as the Friday before the 23 July 2024 publication date, with the court appearance on 20 July.","No place more precise than Rarotonga is named for the arrest or the crop, so the coordinates are for the island with region precision.","No source states whether the 71 plants were seized, uprooted or destroyed; the figure counts the plants found.","The charge wording, the man's plea and any later court outcome are not reported.","Only one account of this arrest was found; no police statement or second outlet could be opened.","The three rental crashes and the separate domestic-assault arrest in the same roundup are distinct events; their people are excluded from the figures.","The Cook Islands has no separate tracker country entry, so the draft uses the New Zealand country entry as the existing Rarotonga reports do."],"sources":[{"title":"Drivers back to bad habits, man arrested with 71 cannabis plants","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/crime/court/drivers-back-to-bad-habits-man-arrested-with-71-cannabis-plants/","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2024-07-23","archived":null}]},{"id":"aitutaki-tuvake-turia-cannabis-probation-2024","code":"CET-KAC0CH","url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/report/aitutaki-tuvake-turia-cannabis-probation-2024/","short_url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/r/KAC0CH/","date":"2024-02-02","added_at":"2026-11-09T06:28:36.906703Z","added_at_source":"recorded","updated_at":"2026-11-15T03:51:35.000Z","country":"ck","country_name":"Cook Islands","place":"High Court at Avarua, Rarotonga","coordinates":[-21.2027,-159.771],"precision":"locality","type":"sentence","also":["prosecution"],"title":"Aitutaki cannabis supplier in Operation Tuvake spared jail and given probation","summary":"A judge refused Crown Law's request for a prison term and sentenced a man convicted of supplying cannabis in Operation Tuvake, the Aitutaki police investigation that jailed seven other men, to two years of probation with six months as community service. He was the last person in the case to be sentenced.","status":"verified","figures":{"charged":1,"convicted":1,"sentenced":1},"details":{"agencies":["Cook Islands Police"],"charges":["supplying or offering to supply class C controlled drugs (cannabis)"],"case_stage":"sentenced","sentence_types":["probation","community-service"],"date_precision":"exact","region":"Aitutaki"},"data_sources":{"details.agencies":[1],"details.case_stage":[1],"details.charges":[1],"details.sentence_types":[1],"figures.charged":[1],"figures.convicted":[1],"figures.sentenced":[1]},"tags":["cook-islands","aitutaki","operation-tuvake","sentencing","probation"],"cover":null,"media":[],"cfi_id":null,"created_by_model":"swancloud/muse-spark-1.3-contributor#xhigh","open_questions":["The article says the trial ended in December 2023; the 6 December 2023 trial report says the trial was expected to conclude that day, so the verdict date is not published.","No weight of cannabis or number of plants is published for this defendant's offending; the article only says it was a low amount, lower than the other offenders'.","The number of separate offering-to-supply occasions is not given, only that there were several.","The individual sentences of the seven jailed men are behind a subscription notice and are not summarised here.","No figure for the total cannabis seized across the nine Aitutaki properties raided on 13 January 2022 was published in the opened accounts.","The article does not name the exact offence provision, only the charge and the two-year maximum.","No appeal, or failure to appeal, is reported."],"sources":[{"title":"Judge refuses Crown Law recommendations and spares cannabis convicted man jail time","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/court/judge-refuses-crown-law-recommendations-and-spares-cannabis-convicted-man-jail-time/","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2024-02-05","archived":null},{"title":"Aitutaki drug trial hinges on cryptic messages, expert analysis","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/crime/outer-islands/court/aitutaki-drug-trial-hinges-on-cryptic-messages-expert-analysis/","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2023-12-06","archived":null}]},{"id":"cook-islands-teen-crash-cannabis-fine-2023","code":"CET-VBBXMK","url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/report/cook-islands-teen-crash-cannabis-fine-2023/","short_url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/r/VBBXMK/","date":"2023-11-24","added_at":"2026-11-10T16:18:40.664015Z","added_at_source":"recorded","updated_at":"2026-11-15T03:51:35.000Z","country":"ck","country_name":"Cook Islands","place":"High Court at Avarua, Rarotonga, Cook Islands","coordinates":[-21.2043,-159.7751],"precision":"locality","type":"sentence","also":["prosecution"],"title":"Teen fined $700 in Cook Islands High Court for cannabis and bong possession","summary":"An 18-year-old motorist who crashed after an epileptic fit was convicted and fined $700 in the Cook Islands High Court for possessing cannabis and a bong. Justice Christine Grice discharged him without conviction for careless driving while imposing fines of $500 for cannabis possession and $200 for the bong.","status":"verified","figures":{"charged":1,"fine":{"amount":700,"currency":"NZD"},"convicted":1,"sentenced":1},"details":{"agency_types":["police","court"],"products":[{"product":"flower"}],"activity":["possession"],"setting":["vehicle"],"charges":["careless driving","possession of cannabis","possession of a bong"],"case_stage":"sentenced","sentence_types":["fine"],"date_precision":"exact","region":"Rarotonga"},"data_sources":{"details.activity":[1],"details.agency_types":[1],"details.case_stage":[1],"details.charges":[1],"details.products":[1],"details.sentence_types":[1],"details.setting":[1],"figures.charged":[1],"figures.convicted":[1],"figures.fine":[1],"figures.sentenced":[1]},"tags":["cook-islands","rarotonga","high-court","possession","court-fine"],"cover":null,"media":[],"cfi_id":null,"created_by_model":"swancloud/muse-spark-1.3-contributor#xhigh","open_questions":["No specific quantity or weight of cannabis was reported.","The defendant was not publicly named in the court report because of his age or court reporting conventions.","Only Cook Islands News published an account of the sentencing hearing."],"sources":[{"title":"Teen spared conviction for careless driving fined for cannabis offences","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/court/teen-spared-conviction-for-careless-driving-fined-for-cannabis-offences/","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2023-11-27","archived":null}]},{"id":"rarotonga-denny-cannabis-supply-charge-2023","code":"CET-1SF1MG","url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/report/rarotonga-denny-cannabis-supply-charge-2023/","short_url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/r/1SF1MG/","date":"2023-08-01","added_at":"2026-11-09T17:43:46.617852Z","added_at_source":"recorded","updated_at":"2026-11-15T03:51:35.000Z","country":"ck","country_name":"Cook Islands","place":"Criminal High Court, Avarua, Rarotonga, Cook Islands","coordinates":[-21.2027,-159.771],"precision":"locality","type":"prosecution","also":["arrest"],"title":"New cannabis supply charge laid against Rarotonga security boss","summary":"Christopher Denny appeared in the Criminal High Court in Avarua on 1 August 2023 on a new charge of supplying a Class C controlled drug, alongside charges of possessing cannabis leaves and utensils. He had been arrested over cannabis leaves in February, and his case was adjourned to 27 October.","status":"verified","figures":{"charged":1},"details":{"agencies":["Cook Islands Police Service","Crown Law"],"agency_types":["police","prosecutor"],"products":[{"product":"flower"}],"activity":["possession","sale"],"charges":["supply of Class C controlled drug","possession of cannabis leaves","possession of utensils"],"case_stage":"charged","date_precision":"exact","region":"Rarotonga"},"data_sources":{"details.activity":[1],"details.agencies":[1],"details.agency_types":[1],"details.case_stage":[1],"details.charges":[1],"details.products":[1],"figures.charged":[1]},"tags":["cook-islands","rarotonga","avarua","high-court","supply"],"cover":null,"media":[],"cfi_id":null,"created_by_model":"swancloud/muse-spark-1.3-contributor#xhigh","open_questions":["The article does not say how much cannabis leaf was involved or what the utensils were.","No plea or outcome is reported; the case was adjourned to 27 October 2023 and later proceedings are not covered here.","The source does not state the date of the newly added supply charge, whether it was laid in August or earlier, or whether it arises from the February 2023 seizure.","Only the 1 August 2023 court sitting date is given; 2023 is inferred from the publication date and the January relaunch of Cook Islands Security.","No arrest figure is given for the supply charge, so only the one person charged is recorded in figures.","Only Cook Islands News published this court call; no police statement or second outlet was found.","The CFI registry has no Cook Islands id, so New Zealand is used as the country field while the place is recorded as Avarua, Rarotonga."],"sources":[{"title":"New charges laid in cannabis prosecution","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/crime/court/new-charges-laid-in-cannabis-prosecution/","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2023-09-09","archived":null}]},{"id":"rarotonga-airport-possession-cannabis-bail-2023","code":"CET-A76RAT","url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/report/rarotonga-airport-possession-cannabis-bail-2023/","short_url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/r/A76RAT/","date":"2023-06-22","added_at":"2026-11-09T17:50:11.503604Z","added_at_source":"recorded","updated_at":"2026-11-15T03:51:35.000Z","country":"ck","country_name":"Cook Islands","place":"Criminal Court, Avarua, Rarotonga, Cook Islands","coordinates":[-21.2027,-159.771],"precision":"locality","type":"arrest","also":["prosecution"],"title":"Man held at Rarotonga airport over cannabis bailed to New Zealand","summary":"A passenger arrested at Rarotonga International Airport after a customs baggage check appeared in the Criminal Court charged with possessing cannabis. A justice of the peace bailed him to return to New Zealand on a $500 surety and adjourned the case to 1 September 2023.","status":"verified","figures":{"arrested":1,"charged":1},"details":{"agencies":["Cook Islands Police","Cook Islands Customs Service"],"agency_types":["police","customs"],"activity":["possession"],"setting":["airport"],"charges":["possession of cannabis"],"case_stage":"charged","date_precision":"approximate","region":"Rarotonga"},"data_sources":{"details.activity":[1],"details.agencies":[1],"details.agency_types":[1],"details.case_stage":[1],"details.charges":[1],"details.setting":[1],"figures.arrested":[1],"figures.charged":[1]},"tags":["cook-islands","rarotonga","airport","possession","bail"],"cover":null,"media":[],"cfi_id":null,"created_by_model":"swancloud/muse-spark-1.3-contributor#xhigh","open_questions":["The article gives no weight or quantity of cannabis and does not say where in the baggage it was found.","Only the publication date is given for the court appearance, described as Thursday; that day is taken as the incident date, and the arrest is given only as a Saturday morning.","The case was to be called before the Chief Justice or a judge, but no trial court, plea, verdict or sentence is reported.","Only Cook Islands News published this account; no police statement or second outlet was found.","The country field uses New Zealand because the tracker's country registry has no Cook Islands id, as in other Rarotonga reports.","The earlier article gives no weight or quantity of cannabis and does not name the flight's origin.","The relationship between the two earlier medicinal-use cases mentioned by Pitt and this arrest is not explained."],"sources":[{"title":"Cannabis accused allowed to travel","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/uncategorised/internal/national/politics/cannabis-accused-allowed-to-travel/","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2023-06-23","archived":null},{"title":"Man in possession of cannabis to face court","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/uncategorised/internal/national/crime/man-in-possession-of-cannabis-to-face-court/","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2023-06-21","archived":null}]},{"id":"cook-islands-hoff-cannabis-underwear-supervision-2023","code":"CET-YMADZ6","url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/report/cook-islands-hoff-cannabis-underwear-supervision-2023/","short_url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/r/YMADZ6/","date":"2023-01-24","added_at":"2026-11-09T17:49:43.645467Z","added_at_source":"recorded","updated_at":"2026-11-15T03:51:35.000Z","country":"ck","country_name":"Cook Islands","place":"High Court, Avarua, Rarotonga, Cook Islands","coordinates":[-21.2043,-159.7751],"precision":"locality","type":"sentence","also":["prosecution","arrest"],"title":"Cook Islands man sentenced to 12 months' supervision for cannabis found in underwear","summary":"Michael Hoff was sentenced to 12 months' supervision at the High Court in Avarua after pleading guilty to possessing cannabis found in his underwear during a body search at Aorangi Prison. He had been stopped for drink-driving on 23 July 2022 and told the court he had found the cannabis by the roadside.","status":"verified","figures":{"arrested":1,"charged":1,"prison":"12 months' supervision","sentenced":1},"details":{"agencies":["Cook Islands Police Service"],"agency_types":["police"],"products":[{"product":"flower"}],"activity":["possession"],"setting":["prison"],"charges":["possession of cannabis"],"case_stage":"sentenced","sentence_types":["probation"],"date_precision":"exact","region":"Rarotonga"},"data_sources":{"details.activity":[1],"details.agencies":[1],"details.agency_types":[1],"details.case_stage":[1],"details.charges":[1],"details.products":[1],"details.sentence_types":[1],"details.setting":[1],"figures.arrested":[1],"figures.charged":[1],"figures.prison":[1],"figures.sentenced":[1]},"tags":["cook-islands","rarotonga","possession","supervision","high-court"],"cover":null,"media":[],"cfi_id":null,"created_by_model":"swancloud/muse-spark-1.3-contributor#xhigh","open_questions":["The report does not say how much cannabis the two tinfoils contained, only that it was a small amount, so no weight is recorded.","The report does not say what conditions the supervision order carried, and no fine or community work is mentioned.","The article gives no separate date for the sentencing beyond 'Tuesday'; 24 January 2023 is taken from the publication date of Wednesday 25 January 2023.","The report does not say whether the drink-driving charge was dealt with in this sentencing or separately.","The judge is reported as saying Hoff was a 'responsible husband and father', but his age and family details are not given.","Only Cook Islands News published this account; no police statement or second outlet was found for the sentencing.","The CFI registry has no Cook Islands id, so New Zealand is used as the country field while the place is recorded as the High Court in Avarua, Rarotonga."],"sources":[{"title":"Cannabis found in underwear","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/uncategorised/internal/national/court/cannabis-found-in-underwear/","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2023-01-25","archived":null}]},{"id":"cook-islands-mark-franklin-one-year-cannabis-sentence-2013","code":"CET-KRT5K8","url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/report/cook-islands-mark-franklin-one-year-cannabis-sentence-2013/","short_url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/r/KRT5K8/","date":"2013-08-01","added_at":"2026-11-13T13:40:46.092801Z","added_at_source":"recorded","updated_at":"2026-11-15T03:51:35.000Z","country":"ck","country_name":"Cook Islands","place":"Arorangi Prison, Rarotonga, Cook Islands","coordinates":[-21.2099,-159.7993],"precision":"locality","type":"sentence","also":["arrest"],"title":"Former NZ cop Mark Franklin jailed a year in Cook Islands for cannabis sale","summary":"Former New Zealand Detective Inspector Mark Franklin was sentenced in August 2013 to one year's jail in the Cook Islands after pleading guilty to selling cannabis to an undercover officer in Rarotonga in 2010. He was one of 13 people arrested in the joint Cook Islands and New Zealand police Operation Eagle investigation.","status":"verified","figures":{"arrested":13,"charged":4,"prison":"one year","convicted":4,"sentenced":4},"details":{},"data_sources":{"figures.arrested":[1,2,3],"figures.charged":[1,2,3],"figures.convicted":[1,2,3],"figures.prison":[1],"figures.sentenced":[1,2,3]},"tags":["cook-islands","rarotonga","arorangi-prison","former-police-officer","operation-eagle"],"cover":null,"media":[{"kind":"photo","url":"https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/9195133/Cop-used-dope-for-stress","media_url":"https://www.stuff.co.nz/media/images/9Tzi8ywRz924XE3uHaD6DS7nc5socMXiw3+FeqnKLTfOPiAK+Nm8MYsoyJc9qxkDXXCUl1K7EBaD+ONUJbyePct%2FDvZfstC9izzLyC0GYws=","publisher":"Stuff (Sunday Star Times)","caption":"Tony Wall's photo of former Detective Inspector Mark Franklin at Arorangi Prison on Rarotonga, where he is serving the one-year jail term for the 2010 cannabis sale to an undercover officer. Photo: Tony Wall","archived":"https://web.archive.org/web/20251118143915/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/9195133/Cop-used-dope-for-stress"}],"cfi_id":null,"created_by_model":"swancloud/muse-spark-1.3-contributor#xhigh","open_questions":["The Cook Islands has no separate CFI country id, so the New Zealand country entry is used, as in the existing Cook Islands reports.","The article says Franklin was sentenced \"last month\" relative to its 21 September 2013 publication date, so the exact day of the August 2013 sentence is not given.","No quantity, value or amount of cannabis was published for the 2010 sale to the undercover officer.","Beyond Franklin and the three jailed ringleaders, the fates of the remaining Operation Eagle arrestees were not reported; TVNZ noted six others still awaiting trial in July 2012."],"sources":[{"title":"Cop used dope for stress","url":"https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/9195133/Cop-used-dope-for-stress","publisher":"Stuff (Sunday Star Times)","date":"2013-09-21","archived":"https://web.archive.org/web/20251118143915/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/9195133/Cop-used-dope-for-stress"},{"title":"Case Study 7 (Operation Eagle, Cook Islands)","url":"https://sherloc.unodc.org/cld/en/education/tertiary/organized-crime/module-11/exercises/case-studies.html","publisher":"UNODC SHERLOC","date":null,"archived":"https://web.archive.org/web/20261014184306/https://sherloc.unodc.org/cld/en/education/tertiary/organized-crime/module-11/exercises/case-studies.html"},{"title":"One News at 6","url":"https://collections.library.auckland.ac.nz/tv-radio/title/VA_18912_02","publisher":"TVNZ (via University of Auckland Library)","date":"2012-07-21","archived":null}]}]}