Five children under 12 lived at meth lab property

WHANGAREI: A meth lab has been uncovered at a Northland property where five children, all younger than 12, were living.

One of the children was under 1 and police have involved Oranga Tamariki, saying the children’s safety and welfare are paramount.

Police and Northland armed offenders squad members searched two properties in Kaiwaka last week and an Auckland clandestine laboratory team was called to help safely remove the drug lab, which was housed in a shed about 100m from the house.

Police said other drugmaking items were found in a car at the property.

The newly formed District Meth Harm Reduction Team helped with the search warrants.

The team is being piloted in Northland to help meth users get support to become drugfree.

A 31yearold farmhand from Kaiwaka faces two charges of supplying methamphetamine, 12 of offering to supply methamphetamine and one of supplying cannabis.

The maximum penalty for supplying methamphetamine is life imprisonment.

The offences are alleged to have happened between November 8 last year and March 19 this year.

The farmhand was remanded in custody to appear in the Whangarei District Court on April 23.

A 33yearold farmer, also of Kaiwaka, has been charged with manufacturing methamphetamine between March 11 and April 11, 2018.

He faces an additional charge of possessing methamphetamine and another of possessing cannabis. — NZME