Police swoop on kauri gum stash

RECOVERED: One of many pieces of unpolished kauri gum that were seized in Whangarei last week. PICTURE/MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM

Police last week seized thousands of dollars worth of kauri gum from a massage parlour in Whangarei. Banana boxes, fish bins and sacks filled mainly with pieces of unpolished gum were found during a search of the Scarlet Lounge on Tuesday, although some of it was returned after it was established that it had been legally obtained.

That left hundreds of kilograms that had allegedly been stolen, however.

Two search warrants were executed, one at the Scarlet Lounge and the other at a property at Oakleigh, south of Whangarei.

Constable Geoff Bigwood said there had been numerous burglaries in Northland over the past 12 months where kauri gum had been targeted. Police knew of about five such burglaries, but there could have been more that were not reported.

"It's a valuable commodity, and we believe it's being exported to the Chinese market," he said, adding that some of that seized had been finished to a high quality.

Constable Bigwood urged anyone with private kauri gum collections to ensure they were secure. Museums in the region were also advised to review their security.

In May thieves raided Gumdiggers' Park at Waiharara, north of Kaitaia, stealing about 80 pieces of polished gum that owner John Johnson valued at around $30,000. He went to Whangarei last week to see if any of the gum seized was his, but had no luck.

Mr Johnson agreed that there was a market for the gum. It was popular in the Asian market, and there were a lot of collectors in New Zealand.

Last week 24-year-old Kaitaia man Heta Lennod Lloyd admitted stealing the gum from Gumdiggers' Park, with an unnamed associate. Wearing balaclavas to conceal their faces, they forced a rear door to get into the building, Lloyd smashing glass cabinets, leaving blood on the glass as he did so, to get at the gum.

Lloyd is currently in custody awaiting sentencing.

Last week 30-year-old Oakleigh man Raymond Te Huia Coe appeared in the Whangarei District Court on a charge of burglary, while 43-year-old Whangarei butcher Weiquan Yang, 43 no plea to a charge of receiving. Both were remanded on bail to October 12.