Six people have appeared in the Tauranga District Court following a police raid that netted an estimated $20 million worth of cocaine.

Deni Cavallo, 46, Mario Habulin, 46, Matthew Scott, 44, Benjamin Northway, 35, and Dean Yang, 29, are accused of being part of a syndicate that allegedly brought 46kg of the class A drug into New Zealand.

They have all pleaded not guilty to over 50 charges including importing, possessing and supplying class A drugs, money laundering and participating in an organised crime syndicate.

The cocaine was allegedly stashed in a hidden compartment on a commercial shipping vessel - the Maersk Antares - which arrived at the Port of Tauranga on October 31.

Police said it was the largest single cocaine shipment seized in New Zealand history and four people were initially charged.

Thi Lieu Le, 51, has also been charged with four counts of dealing with the proceeds of crime and being part of an organised crime syndicate following her arrest in Sydney.

She was remanded in custody without plea and will reappear on March 20.

Lawyers representing Cavallo, Habulin and Northway have expressed concerns that the police were moving to slowly with disclosure of evidence against their clients.

The crown also formally withdrew a charge of money laundering against a seventh person, 36-year-old Thi Ngoc Hoa Do.

Cavallo, Habulin, Scott and Northway were further remanded in custody until their next court appearance on April 10. Yang was remanded on bail and will reappear with the others on the same date.