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Waikato police say the arrest of a wanted man, allegedly found with methamphetamine and an automatic pistol, is further proof of links between the drug world and the illegal trade in firearms.
The 29-year-old was arrested in a Hamilton motel during an armed offenders squad raid early on Sunday.
He was found with an automatic pistol, drugs, ammunition and a number of syringes, police said.
The man appeared in the Hamilton District Court yesterday charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Further charges relating to a quantity of methamphetamine seized in the 1.30am raid are expected.
Police said the man was a known associate of fugitive Richard Duthie, who was arrested last month in Auckland, allegedly in possession of Glock and Beretta pistols.
Police believe those pistols were part of a collection of 121 weapons missing from a Coromandel property.
Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Nicholls of Waikato CIB said the serial number of the pistol seized on Sunday had been removed and inquiries were continuing into its origins.
"What Sunday's discovery does highlight is the growing and disturbing trend that those involved in the methamphetamine scene are armed with weapons of this nature."
