Brother sought after high-roller police raid

Police would like to locate Chi Wo Lau in connection with Operation Roller.

Drugs, cash, bank accounts, property and cars worth more than $12 million seized.

Two brothers who own $5 million worth of property were "flying under the radar" before a drugs raid on their home in an upmarket Auckland suburb.

Detectives found more than $1.7 million in cash and 2.5kg of methamphetamine at Chi Pui Lau's three-bedroom apartment on Remuera Rd and the 43-year-old was charged with possession of a Class-A drug for supply.

His younger brother Chi Wo Lau, 41, is on the run and police want to hear from anyone who knows where he is.

According to public records, the brothers run two companies together and own eight properties between them worth more than $5 million, which have been frozen as part of the Operation Roller investigation.

As well as the $1.7 million in cash, police have seized $1.1 million held in bank accounts and luxury Audi, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz vehicles - a total of $8 million worth of assets.

The Lau brothers are New Zealand citizens but have links to Hong Kong and were undetected until police began covertly watching a discharged bankrupt.

Charles Yip Mou Lam has also been charged with possession of methamphetamine for supply after detectives from the Organised and Financial Crime Agency of New Zealand found 2kg of the drug in his Howick home. The surveillance of Lam led to the Lau brothers living in Remuera and the search warrant, which was executed late last month.

The total methamphetamine seized between both raids has a street value of $4.5 million.

"These guys were flying under the radar. Different names often pop up [who are allegedly involved in the drug trade] but we had never heard of these guys, which is very interesting," according to a source.

A 23-year-old woman living at the Remuera apartment, Tian Tian Shang, has also been charged.