Operation Beaver: How a $400,000 supercar crash started investigation which led to drug convictions

Investigative Journalist·NZ Herald·6 Nov, 2026 04:00 PM5 mins to read‌The crash of an Aston Martin Vanquish during a money laundering inquiry led police to investigate the owner of the supercar, Qiangqiang Chen, as a drug importer during Operation Beaver. Photo / NZME illustrationThe Aston Martin Vanquish was a write-off. But Yichuan Zhang wasn’t worried about replacing the $400,000 vehicle.One of his workers had crashed the supercar but Zhang’s only concern was to protect the identity of his client, the true owner of the vehicle. Although the white Aston Martin was registered