Eight additional suspects in New Zealand's Methamphetamine Crackdown are arrested by police.
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| [New Zealand police operation against methamphetamine] |
According to the Facebook page of New Zealand Police:
After a three-month investigation centered on the production and distribution of methamphetamine in Rotorua, eight persons have been taken into custody as a result of the investigation.
In addition to the arrests, the police took possession of a number of cars, roughly fifty thousand dollars in cash, a number of guns, approximately five hundred grams of methamphetamine, and production equipment for methamphetamine.
The operation was led by the Rotorua Police Organised Crime Squad, with assistance from employees from around the Bay of Plenty.
As a direct consequence of this, seven people—five men and three women—ranging in age from 19 to 56 and suspected of having ties to the Mongrel Mob have been taken into custody.
They have been accused of a wide range of offenses, including making methamphetamine, providing methamphetamine, possessing cannabis with the intent to distribute it, and possession of guns with the intent to distribute it.
Detective Inspector Lindsay Pilbrow is appreciative of the tremendous amount of work that was accomplished as a component of the operation in conjunction with Operation Cobalt.
"We will continue to target and discourage illegal gang behavior in order to promote the safety of both our community and our workforce," the statement said.
"We have made a commitment to disrupting and dismantling networks that have been detected, and we will continue to pursue those individuals who unlawfully accrue assets and fortune via the sale and supply of illicit substances and guns.
Our message to those who were engaged is quite clear: we will not tolerate any kind of violence, gang activity, or drug activity.
Many vulnerable communities are ravaged by the effects of methamphetamine, while organized criminal organizations continue to benefit from this kind of criminal activity.
We are convinced that this operation will result in a significant interruption to the supply of methamphetamine in the area, which will be the focus of the police department's efforts to target and dismantle the activities of those who wish to benefit from the suffering caused by this situation.
The mixing of illegal substances with weapons is always a potentially fatal prescription for injury, and it remains a significant source of worry for the police and the communities they serve.
We will continue to urge anybody who is aware of criminal activities going place in their neighborhood to call the police at 105 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 0800 555 111.