WELLINGTON, July 4 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Customs Minister Meka Whaitiri said on Wednesday the Maritime Powers Extension Bill she is introducing to Parliament will give Customs greater authority to swiftly act against vessels trying to bring drugs into the country.

"Smuggling drugs by sea has always been a risk. Over the last two years, we have seen over a dozen large illicit drug shipments detected in the South Pacific region," Whaitiri said in a statement, adding that organized crime groups are looking to employ this option more often.

Customs abilities must be broadened to disrupt international drug-smuggling networks early in the supply chain, allowing them to make seizures beyond 24 miles offshore, she said, adding current powers are not sufficient to deal with this threat.

The bill will give New Zealand Customs the statutory power to board, search and take necessary enforcement action, including arrest and seizure of vessels, on reasonable suspicion of smuggling activities in international waters around New Zealand.

By aligning New Zealand Customs with their Australian counterparts who have explicit powers to act against smugglers in international waters, this legislation will help New Zealand meet its international obligations to combat the traffic in illicit drugs and enable closer cooperation with its regional partners, particularly Australia, the minister said.

New Zealand's territorial waters end at the 12-nautical mile limit and the contiguous zone a further 12 nautical miles beyond that. The new legislation will apply from that point into the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone and the high seas beyond.?