Man under police guard in North Shore Hospital after Takapuna clan drug lab bust

A man is under police guard in hospital after a raid on a clandestine drug-making operation in a North Shore apartment block overnight.

A police spokesperson said a search warrant was executed at an address in Anzac St, Takapuna, last night.

On entering the premises, evidence of drug manufacturing was detected.

“Three occupants at the address have been arrested and taken into custody, one of whom exhibited symptoms of drug intake,” said a spokesperson.

St John also attended the incident and as a precaution took the man to North Shore Hospital for observation.

“He remains there under guard,” said the spokesperson.

Charges in relation to the matter were pending, he said.

A bystander said he saw a number of police present firearms and a taser at the man as he was being arrested outside the apartment block situated on one of the suburb’s main streets.

He claimed as the man was being handcuffed “some sort of incident happened” and he collapsed.

“Police had arrested him and he was lashing out before he fell unconscious.

“The ambulance then rushed him away,” he said.

The police spokesperson said officers were occasionally armed in operations that posed a high risk, and that might have been the case during some periods of this event.