International drug ring busted in Queenstown

A joint drug operation with overseas police has uncovered an international drug syndicate based in Queenstown. Photo / David White

Police raids in Otago and Canterbury have uncovered a sophisticated international drug syndicate.

Queenstown police have recruited the help of Australian and Canadian police after the syndicate was exposed during eight raids yesterday.

Seven people were arrested for allegedly importing hundreds of thousands of dollars of ecstasy or LSD from Vancouver, Canada.

Detective Sergeant Grahme Bartlett said the "principals" running the syndicate were two New Zealanders living in Queenstown.

"While Queenstown is portrayed as a party town ... we were surprised at the level of drugs being imported," he told The Southland Times.

The drugs were being imported from Vancouver via Bali and Sydney, he said.

"The Canadian authorities were quite astounded by the methods being used."

Four people were arrested in Queenstown, one in Oamaru and two in Dunedin.

A British man, who lives in Australia, was also arrested in Queenstown.

Those arrested in Queenstown will appear in Invercargill District Court today.

- NZPA