Auckland speed operation results in 54 arrests

4.00pm

Auckland police have made 54 arrests, seized cash, methamphetamine and discovered three clandestine laboratories during a month-long methamphetamine operation.

Operation Choker, involving 80 officers, is the fourth operation of its kind in targeting crime hot spots in the Auckland region.

Superintendent Ted Cox said Operation Choker, in two phases, was the most successful yet in terms of targeting those who supply manufacturers of methamphetamine and dealers of the drug.

"During the first phase 30 people known as 'pill shoppers' were arrested and charged, many had never been before the courts," he said in a statement today. "These are people who go into pharmacies purchasing pseudoephedrine-based medication allegedly for the purpose of manufacturing methamphetamine. Some of those arrested were part of two large syndicates closed down during Operation Choker."

In the second phase, targeting dealers, 24 people were arrested and face various charges, mainly dealing in class A drugs. Quantities of methamphetamine were also seized during these arrests.

Mr Cox said during the pill shopper phase an alarming trend emerged involving people known as "recruiters", who seldom visited the pharmacies themselves but recruited others to shop for the pseudoephedrine products on their behalf.

"Police found, during the intelligence gathering phase before Operation Choker began, that many pill shoppers who worked for 'recruiters' would often travel from city to city all over the country, visiting as many pharmacies as they could," he said.

"The return is fairly good for the shoppers with many of them living off the proceeds of this type of illegal activity."

Mr Cox said the results from Operation Choker confirmed methamphetamine was a growing "industry" that had many facets and criminal activity attached to it.

Police had also been involved in education programmes consisting of police officers working with marae-based initiatives, assisting schools to enhance drug awareness and officers talking to forums of parents about the danger signs to look for from suspected drug users. Police education officers were producing a secondary schools methamphetamine drug awareness package.

Mr Cox said teachers and parents had a large part to play in ensuring children and teenagers were made aware of the horrific consequences of using methamphetamine.

- NZPA

Herald Feature: The P epidemic

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