Op Emerald: 75-year-old accused of growing 250 cannabis plants
Police say an investigation targeting large-scale drug operations has uncovered a plot of 250 cannabis plants near the Whanganui River.
A 75-year-old man was arrested after the find in Raetihi on March 26 as part of Operation Emerald.
The area was previously subject to a licence to grow hemp, which expired in 2021.
Central District field crime manager Detective Inspector Paul Baskett said the grow was found in an isolated area inland of the small North Island settlement.
Police received information cannabis was allegedly being grown on the land in “tunnel houses”.
Officers applied for a search warrant and executed it with the help of the Air Force.
There they found plants, as well as dried cannabis inside a shed.
Baskett said the investigation was ongoing, but the seizure would stop a significant amount of marijuana going into the community.
The operation had also netted methamphetamine, firearms, stolen vehicles and cash after 39 search warrants were carried out across the Bay of Plenty a week prior.
Twenty-five people were arrested on a number of charges and were currently going through the court system.
During recent question time in Parliament, Minister of Police Mark Mitchell said the Bay of Plenty operation had dealt funding for organised crime a “massive blow”.
“The execution of 39 search warrants saw 29 firearms seized and 25 arrests made.
“Additionally, police seized more than 80g of methamphetamine, over $7000 in cash, two stolen vehicles and a stolen motorbike.”
He said more than 35,0000 cannabis plants had been destroyed throughout the operation so far, preventing gangs from getting their hands on $128 million. “Based on the drug harm index, the estimated social harm prevented by Operation Emerald last year was $127m.”
He also had a message for those involved in the large-scale production of marijuana. “If you choose to cultivate a drug that remains illegal and if you use it to fund your criminal lifestyle and perpetuate misery in our communities, you can expect police to hold you to account and to seize illegal firearms, drugs and ill-gotten gains.”
Operation Emerald’s purpose, according to police, was not to target recreational users, but rather the “parasitic” criminals whose offending impacted communities.
They believed the illegal sale of cannabis equated to $406m going primarily to gangs and organised criminal groups.
The 75-year-old man was charged with cultivating cannabis and was due to appear in the Whanganui District Court on Saturday.