Aerial op snags dope on a rope

HAUL: Police officers unload cannabis plants from an RNZAF Iroquois, during Operation Jasmin over the lower North Island.

Cannabis growing across the Central Districts, including Tararua, has been punished by Operation Jasmin, with more than 6000 plants taken and 163 arrests.

Operation Jasmin is the police annual crime and cannabis operation.

More than 4000 plants were recovered from the aerial phase in Central Districts, with the remaining 2000 plants coming from search warrants.

Tararua, Manawatu and Horowhenua accounted for nearly 1000 plants.

Police estimated $20 million dollars had been saved in social harm costs from the operation.

The operation starts with an intelligence-gathering phase and is followed by an aerial recovery phase using NZ Air Force Iroquois and NH90 helicopters to winch police officers into cannabis plots.

Senior Constable Dave Kirk, Central Districts operation co-ordinator says: "Year on year we will continue to disrupt growers and dealers and while over the past few years we have seen a gradual decrease in the number of plants recovered in the district, we hope this is a sign that people are thinking twice before they engage in criminal activity and risk everything."

Central Districts was also the last district to use the Iroquois helicopter as part of the aerial phase and Mr Kirk recovered the last cannabis plants ever to be brought on board the aircraft.

"We have been using the Iroquois for about 20 years as part of the operation and it has been worth its weight in gold. While we will definitely miss it we look forward to using the NH90 as part of future operations."

Police have arrested 163 offenders, resulting in 214 charges ranging from cultivation and supply of cannabis and other illicit drug charges.

Also located and recovered during the search warrants were 156kg of dried cannabis, 17 firearms, 52 ecstasy tablets, 16 LSD tabs, and 52 grams of methamphetamine.

The 4000 plants discovered in the aerial phase of the operation were taken from Wanganui (1148), Taranaki (1092), Ruapehu (976) and Manawatu, incorporating Tararua and Horowhenua (959).