Party drugs in two minutes
His name was Matt, and he was trawling Taupō’s bars and clubs trying to sniff out some cocaine or MDMA.
Only half of that is true.
“Matt” was in fact an undercover police officer, tasked with sourcing what are sometimes termed “party drugs” – cocaine and MDMA – as part of Operation Delta.
He succeeded. When the Waikato Times spoke to the officer in charge of Operation Delta, Senior Sergeant Andy Livingstone, it sounded like it didn’t take him too long.
“Probably the results speak for themselves,” he said, when asked how quickly “Matt” managed to source some drugs. “That’s what concerned us. These drugs were readily available.”
The Waikato Times sat down with Livingstone in a back office at Taupō Police Station, a space almost indistinguishable from any other office apart from the rows of police-issue stab vests on one wall.
Asked what prompted the police crackdown, which resulted in four arrests on various drug possession and supply charges, he said there were two paramount factors.
“We were getting some overdose-type incidents and we knew, speaking to witnesses in the bars, they’d just purchased unknown substances, [being] told it was ecstasy or MDMA.”
There was growing concern that someone might eventually die, but another reason forced the department’s hand, too.
“It comes back to our oath, without fear or favour. The public expects us to target the ones that are high-profile, gangs and other drug dealers, and often we are completing search warrants and apprehending and charging those in quite deprived areas,” he said. “But then you’ve got these professional people using cocaine, MDMA, so we apply the law fairly, evenly.”
Unsurprisingly, Livingstone was much more guarded when the Waikato Times attempted to peer behind the curtain of police undercover work. “It’s not like the movies ... police have various and wide investigative techniques. We don’t advertise those classed as covert, but there are several strands of covert policing. I think all I can say is any time, anywhere.”
To anyone dealing, he added: “Expect the unexpected. We might come and get you one day, and then you’ve lost your travel, restricted your employment options, and I’d rather you have some reflection now than court remorse.”
He also had some words for the professional people who think it’s “OK to use a supposed party drug”. “Just be aware we are watching, we are policing it ... don’t be surprised if you get a knock at the door.”
That warning came too late for early childhood teacher Josephine Van Lit and her partner Xavier “Rage” Rata. They got their knock on the door after “Matt” purchased a gram of MDMA for $300 in a bar,and was referred on to “Rage”. “Yeah, that’s the guy who sells it,” he was told.
The police summary of facts for Rata and Van Lit included a number of texts sent by “Matt”. “Hey bro, got your number from [name]. I’m coming up your way ... and he said you might be able to hook me up”.
“Matt” then visited Rata’s address several times to purchase MDMA. On one occasion, he was supplied by Van Lit.
In the wake of one $750 deal, “Van Lit told ‘Matt’ they could supply bigger amounts of MDMA if he wanted, as they had supplied bigger amounts before”.
After several successful purchases, police executed a search warrant at the couple’s home on December 1, 2022, locating “a large quantity of MDMA”.
Rata was later sentenced to six months’ home detention after pleading guilty to one representative charge of supplying MDMA.
Van Lit received a discharge without conviction – and a dressing-down from Judge Greg Hollister-Jones to “move beyond being a party girl”.
Also caught up in Delta’s net was Kurtis Thompson, sentenced to supervision for possession of MDMA for supply. One of his text messages was revealed in his police summary of facts. “Want that half g of coke $200 need to get my money for this tat x.”
In total, four arrests were made from Operation Delta, but Livingstone isn’t kidding himself that they’ve rid Taupō of party drugs. Asked how long it would take someone to get cocaine or MDMA in Taupō, he quickly replies: “Within two minutes.” He knows what’s coming next, too. “Why do we bother? Apprehension is a form of prevention.”
He’s seen the result of this first-hand many times over his 22 years in the force.
“We’ve seen families and whanau blossom because we’ve taken their loved one out of the picture, and I don’t make any apology for people being deprived of their liberty when it’s deserved,” he said.
According to the executive director of the NZ Drug Foundation, Sarah Helm, MDMA use in New Zealand has remained relatively steady since 2019, but there has been “a significant increase in consumption of cocaine over the last year”.
However, its research had found that methamphetamine remained the drug of choice across Waikato, Helm said.