Police searches net guns, cannabis
19 guns, stolen property seized
Police in Central Hawke’s Bay seized firearms, drugs and stolen property after search warrants were actioned at four addresses in Waipukurau and Waipawa last month.
Amongst the 19 guns seized were shotguns, pistols and three military style semi-automatic weapons.
Two of the shotguns have been identified as being those stolen from a St George’s Rd, Hastings address in 2014.
Three large bags of cannabis were located in a freezer at one of the addresses, while cannabis plants from indoor and outdoor growing facilities were also seized.
The bags of frozen cannabis weighed in at 9.35kg, well over the 28g which is presumed by law to be for personal use.
Some of the stolen property was identified as coming from Waipukurau’s Crandford Hospice Charity Shop.
A 47-year-old man was arrested two weeks ago in relation to the charity shop burglaries and will appear in the Waipukurau District Court on January 21, charged with 11 counts of burglary as well as other related offences.
At one of the Waipukurau addresses police found furniture and items taken from the nowclosed Breakers Restaurant in Waipukurau.
A search of another address revealed cannabis plants in an outdoor garden, more plants in an indoor growing room and also guns and ammunition on the property.
Constable Leigh Whiting, of the Waipukurau police, says the team was pleased with the result.
“It is a good result, getting these weapons out of our community, as well as taking the cannabis out of circulation and potentially reuniting people with their stolen property.”
Whiting says that finding weapons and drugs at the same premises is a stark reminder that “sometimes ‘growing a bit of cannabis’ isn’t the harmless activity some people think of it as”.
Two arrests have been made so far as a result of the searches.
‘ Bags of frozen cannabis weighed in at 9.35kg, well over the 28g which is presumed by law to be for personal ’ use.