Police swoop on valley cannabis

[thatswho]

03 April 2006

By ESTHER HARWARD AND YVONNE TAHANA

 

Whangamata police have made one of their biggest cannabis busts in years.

 

 

A 52-year-old Whangamata man has been arrested after police claim they found him inside a "substantial" cannabis plot in the Parakiwai Valley, south of the town.

 

They said the man was carrying a large amount of cannabis in a backpack. He faces drug and firearms charges after the discovery of a .22 rifle and ammunition at a well set-up campsite nearby.

 

Detective Simon Everson at Waihi police said the cannabis find was the biggest in the Waihi-Whangamata area in two years.

 

The haul was made as part of an annual campaign by police which coincides with the harvesting season.

 

He said the bust would make a significant dent in cannabis supply in the area.

 

Police had found 7-8kg of cannabis heads and, because of the amount, used a helicopter to lift it out.

 

The cannabis would be worth about $64,000.

 

Mr Everson said police had been working on the case for several weeks after a police surveillance aircraft had spotted several plots.

 

A 35-year-old Whangamata woman, who was related to the man, was also arrested on cannabis related charges.

 

The pair were remanded on bail to appear in the Waihi District Court on April 11.

 

Police are still looking for a third person they believed to be involved.

 

April is the main month for cannabis harvesting. The officer in charge of the regional cannabis recovery programme, detective sergeant Chris Page, said the total amount found this season had not been tallied.

 

Last year the national campaign resulted in 564 arrests, the destruction of 108,000 plants and 75kg of dried cannabis, recovery of $230,000 of stolen property, the seizing of 46 firearms and raids on five methamphetamine labs.

 

Huntly police sergeant Vic Sneddon said cannabis recovery operations were on the decrease because of the danger to police officers, who could face traps and armed growers.

 

Raglan constable Dave Litton said a police drug operation had swept the area about a month ago.

 

"They've usually got some good information to say where some of the plots are – they also go to places in the past where they've had some success."

 

 

 

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