It was revealed in court yesterday that the holiday home was hired out for $3000 for an eight-day period. A person who visited the property while the five people were there became suspicious when they noted that windows, particularly those facing the ocean, had been covered.
When police went to the house they allegedly found a large drug lab for manufacturing methamphetamine.
Charla May McIntyre, 18, of Kerikeri, Kimberley Rose Gibbons-Hurinui, 30, of Auckland, Julian Donald Robert, 43, of Mangawhai, Jeffery James Hall, 33, from Northcote, and Tama Hatepe Watene-Toi were jointly charged with manufacturing methamphetamine on July 7. Manufacturing the Class A drug carries a penalty of life imprisonment.
They all face two charges of unlawful possession of firearms which relate to a sawn-off .22 rifle and an AK-47 assault rifle.
They also face one charge of possession of precursor equipment including glass beakers, baking dishes, reaction vessels, heating pads, condensers, flasks and clamps and stands.
None of the five applied for bail and Judge John McDonald remanded them in jail until August 1 to allow for legal advice and a plea to be taken.
A neighbour of the Dolphin Place property told the Northern Advocate he had seen emergency services there and five people were taken through a decontamination shower before police put them in "those nice white jumpsuits and handcuffed them".
