Police lay 200 charges after finding 300kg of drugs, $520,000 cash, guns

Police found guns during an operation with Australian police. Photo / NZ Police

By RNZ

More than 200 charges have been made against 20 people as part of a joint Australasian taskforce targeting motorcycle gangs.

A total of 28 search warrants were executed during a week - dubbed the “Week of Action” by Australian and New Zealand police - between August 5 and 9.

Police uncovered a synthetic drug laboratory in Auckland’s West Harbour and seized nearly 300kg of drugs.

More than $520,000 of cash and three firearms were also seized in the Waitematā, Auckland and Wellington region throughout the week.

Two other joint operations, involving New Zealand Customs and New Zealand Police, last week also saw drugs and cash seized, and assets restrained.

The first, Operation Havana, involved a two-year co-ordinated investigation into a major Chinese drug smuggling syndicate based in a southeast Auckland suburb.

A total of $500,000 cash was seized, 12 people were arrested, and more than 175 charges were filed. Approximately $4 million in assets was also restrained.

Operation Fix also saw three arrests and a total of approximately 180kg of methamphetamine seized in a central Auckland-based operation targeting a Mexican crime syndicate.

Australian and NZ police with warrants carried out searches and found drugs and cash. Photo / NZ Police

One man was arrested when he attempted to flee the country from Auckland Airport, following the discovery of a container filled with scrap metal and 175kg of methamphetamine at Tauranga Port on July 26.

Police, supported by Customs, executed search warrants at hotel rooms and Air bnb units located within Auckland’s CBD, uncovering a further 5kg of methamphetamine and making two further arrests.

- RNZ