A fisherman from a remote island in the Cook Islands said he feared for his life after a routine reef fishing trip led to the discovery of a mysterious package containing cocaine worth millions of dollars in street value.
The fisherman, who RNZ Pacific has agreed not to name, discovered the package washed up on the reef in Mitiaro on July 28, thinking it could be a body or a bomb.
"I had two thoughts then: first, I thought this could be a human body chopped up ... [and] second, I was suddenly worried that I was wrong and this thing was a bomb and if it exploded right now I would die and no one would ever find me," he told RNZ Pacific.
The contents of the package, weighing more than 26kg, have since been tested by Cook Islands Police and confirmed to contain cocaine.
The fisherman recalled he initially thought he was looking at a turtle that had been killed by a shark and washed onto the reef. But as he got closer, he realised it was not a turtle.
While stricken with fear, he cautiously poked the package with his fishing rod to see if he could feel what it contained.
"So I rolled it to the other side and something fell out; this packet fell out, and that's when it hit me, this was probably drugs."
He then became concerned the package could be more dangerous than it looked, and still fearing it might be rigged with explosives, he left the package and continued fishing.
But while cleaning his catch back on shore, he could not stop thinking about it.
Worried the high tide might take it away, he reported his find to a local police officer who enlisted the help of a couple of young men to carry the package off the reef.
They also discovered two loose packets believed to have been knocked from the main package and washed further ashore by rough seas.
"We took the whole thing to the police officers house and then we cut into the package to have a proper look at what was inside. So there were 17 packets inside the sack and two found washed ashore, so the total is 19 packets altogether," he said.
Cook Islands Police have confirmed the substance is cocaine and are investigating where the package came from and whether it is connected to other drug cases in the region.
Cook Islands Customs has also strengthened vessel monitoring and searches in response to the discovery, according to RNZ Pacific.
The fisherman expressed concern about the impact on his community and the wider Cook Islands, saying he fears this could be part of a bigger drug operation.
"I'm worried for the young generation," he said. "If they find these packages, they might hide them, not knowing what they are. We need to protect them from this."
Police have not disclosed the estimated street value of the cocaine, but reports suggest it is worth millions of dollars.
The discovery has raised concerns about drug trafficking routes in the Pacific, with the Cook Islands seen as a potential transit point for narcotics.