Christchurch rebuild worker busted for cannabis

Police conducted a city-wide operation targeting about 150 offenders on outstanding warrants. Photo / File

A scaffolder involved in Christchurch's rebuild was busted for cultivating cannabis after he was picked up on an outstanding warrant in raids yesterday.

Police conducted a city-wide operation targeting about 150 offenders on outstanding warrants.

As of this afternoon police had arrested 34 offenders and Superintendent Gary Knowles said he was "confident" the remainder would be caught.

Of those arrested 29 were male, five female.

All appeared at the district court today.

Mr Knowles said the scaffolder had failed to appear in court on a minor driving charge. But now he faced further charges of cultivating cannabis after 12 large plants were found in his property.

He said another man tried to escape police by jumping out a toilet window.

Superintendent Knowles said police were teaming up with Customs and Immigration to try and apprehend a further 200 offenders, some facing charges which dated back to the 1980s, who were living overseas.

Superintendent Knowles said: "A lot of people think they can get away with not fronting up to the courts, but we want to send a clear signal to offenders that they will be held accountable. Our message to anyone with an outstanding warrant is to come forward and do something about it before you get a knock on the door."

He said police would continue to target offenders on outstanding warrants on a regular basis.