Drug busts include Canterbury
Nationwide drugs busts have uncovered enough chemicals to manufacture 150 kilograms of synthetic cannabis, with a street value of $1.5 million.
The raids follow the deaths of 10 people in Auckland in the past month thought to be related to synthetic cannabis.
Police swooped on properties in the Auckland suburbs of Henderson, Glendene and Red Beach, as well as Clarksville in North Canterbury and the Christchurch suburbs of Hornby and St Albans yesterday morning.
Two searches were also carried out in Palmerston North.
Police launched an investigation in June after NZ Customs intercepted more than a kilogram of AMB-Fubinaca and AB-Pinaca, the psychoactive substances used to make synthetic cannabis.
Acting Detective Inspector Roger Small of Waitemata Police said yesterday’s operation followed search warrants in Rodney last week where 2kg of AMBFubinaca, and 11kg of synthetic cannabis were seized.
The 3kg of AMB-Fubinaca and AB-Pinaca seized yesterday would be sufficient to manufacture 150kg of synthetic cannabis, with a street value of $1.5 million.
‘‘We will do everything we can to hold those responsible for manufacturing psychoactive substances to account,’’ he said.
Small said this was only the tipping point and police believed there would be further arrests in the future.
A 48-year-old man from Glendene would be appearing in the Waitakere District Court on charges relating to possession of a firearm and ammunition as well as possession of a Class ‘‘A’’ drug.
Yesterday’s raids are the combined work of the Police and NZ Customs on Operation Tiger, which saw 13 people facing the courts earlier this year following the seizure of more than half a million dollars’ worth of Class ‘‘A’’ and ‘‘B’’ drugs that were imported into New Zealand through the International Mail Centre.