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Almost $1 million and a loaded pen-gun were seized from the properties of a property developer accused of manufacturing and supplying methamphetamine, police say.
Farmer-turned-developer Maxwell John Beckham was arrested in Auckland last month after an eight-week police operation. The Herald on Sunday has been told Beckham has assets worth an estimated $10 million.
Police searched addresses in Auckland, Whangarei and Mangonui on December 22 and say they seized five ounces of P, the loaded bronze pen-gun and $800,000 in cash.
Beckham, 61, faces five charges resulting from last month's raid, including manufacturing methamphetamine, possession for supply and conspiring to manufacture methamphetamine between October 13 and December 22 last year.
He appeared in Auckland District Court last month and was remanded in custody for another appearance in a fortnight.
At the time of Beckham's arrest, police described him as "a very significant figure in both the Northland and Auckland methamphetamine scenes".
Police sources believe the arrest will have a major impact on the supply of methamphetamine in both areas.
Beckham, a director of Ocean View Olives and Northridge Imports, has been active in his community.
