More than 650 cannabis plants seized
. . . more than 34,000 cannabis plants and 79kg of dried cannabis seized during the operation had a combined street value of about $95 million.
More than 650 cannabis plants were seized in the Southern police district during the police’s aerial summer cannabis eradication operation.
Northland, Waikato, Central (Taranaki to Manawatū ), Tasman and Southern police districts were searched from the air during summer. Hauls from those districts and offending uncovered by the Financial Crime Group included 34,503 cannabis plants and 80 firearms.
The southern police district, Otago and Southland, had the most ‘‘offenders’’ of the districts, with 24. Four indoor growing operations and 662 plants were seized in Southern.
A police spokesperson said 81 ‘‘offenders’’ were spoken to by police across the country, but police could not confirm if all 81 had been charged.
Of 91 search warrants carried out, Waikato had the most with 28, Southern second most with 24. Of 13 proceeds of crime referrals made across the districts, two were from Southern. Of the 80 firearms seized, three came from Southern.
National Organised Crime Group director Detective Superintendent Greg Williams said more than 34,000 cannabis plants and 79kg of dried cannabis seized during the operation had a combined street value of about $95 million.
Stuff revealed last year that top brass at Police National Headquarters had decided to slash the programme, which cost more than $700,000 a year for hundreds of hours of flight time for helicopters and planes.
However, 12 months on, the operation was back up and running, with six police districts taking part.