Police raid Tauranga P-lab

Armed police used the cover of darkness to raid a suspected P-lab in Tauranga this morning.

The Tauranga Armed Offenders Squad went to the Glue Pot Road house before dawn and appealed for a man to come out of the house.

Tauranga police Detective Sergeant Eddie Lyttle said police were today speaking to that man and had been told by him that there was a P-lab in the house

The rural Oropi property was down a long driveway and this morning police set up cordons 150m either side of the driveway entrance.

Traffic was also diverted.

Mr Lyttle said a specialist clandestine lab team from Auckland had since entered the house.

"We can't go in until it's been cleared properly.

"They're doing it but it takes hours because the chemicals are so dangerous, it takes a long time for them to identify what chemicals there are."

Police and firefighters were at the scene, where a decontamination tent was set up.

At one point, a male, believed to be the occupant of the house, could be heard moaning from inside the tent.

This morning's bust was part of Operation Wella, which was launched on June 23.

Operation Wella really kicked off when police raided 30 properties across the Western Bay arresting 26 people and uncovering stolen property, cannabis and the utensils for using drugs.

Mr Lyttle said Operation Wella was an attempt to curb an annual spike in drug and burglary crimes over the winter months.

Police often noticed a spike in burglary and theft from vehicles during June, July and August each year. While the exact reason for this was not clear, contributing factors were the end of the kiwifruit season, the longer hours of darkness during the winter months and fewer people being out and about in neighbourhoods.

More than 40 officers from throughout the Bay of Plenty expect to execute over 20 search warrants during the remainder of this period.

In the Western Bay of Plenty, there were 13 P-labs busted by police in 2009.

That number was down from 18 in 2008 and 17 in 2007.

The number of P-lab busts nationwide hit 190 in 2007, 133 in 2008 and 135 in 2009.

- Bay of Plenty Times