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Police have seized more than $17 million in assets and more than $10 million worth of cannabis plants from a rural property in Northland.
The significant haul is a result of two major investigations led by police’s money laundering team and the Auckland-based asset recovery unit.
This week, Operation Peruvian, an investigation into a large-scale cannabis cultivation in Northland, seized and destroyed 6500 cannabis plants.
Upper north money laundering team officer-in-charge Detective Senior Sergeant Andrew Dunhill said the seizure was made at a rural property in the mid-north, which police allege was linked to previous offending as part of Operation Bush, an ongoing investigation targeting the large-scale commercial cultivation, sale and supply of cannabis and money laundering.
“Additionally, police have restrained around $17m in property, assets and cash,” said Dunhill.
“Operation Peruvian was launched under the umbrella of Operation Bush, and this week’s significant seizures and restraint follow months of investigation into an organised crime group and their alleged associates,” said Dunhill.
Dunhill said six people, aged between 37 and 54, have appeared in Kaikohe District Court.
Police have seized thousands of cannabis plants from large-scale cultivation operations in Northland and Auckland.
Meanwhile, in Counties Manukau District, police have also destroyed more than 6500 cannabis plants that were being cultivated in two commercial glasshouses and five purpose-built portable grow tents.
Further south, in Waikato, more than 1000 cannabis plants were seized and destroyed at a factory, which had recently been converted to grow the plants.
“Both these operations have uncovered several enormous commercial-growth cultivations across the Northland, Waitematā, Auckland City, Counties Manukau and Waikato Districts.”
To date, 34 people have been arrested in relation to Operations Peruvian and Bush and collectively they are facing more than 100 charges across a wide range of serious offences relating to the cultivation and supply of drugs and money laundering.
“These are significant restraints involving millions of dollars’ worth of property, assets, vehicles and cash, and they highlight the ongoing work by police to disrupt and dismantle this type of damaging offending in our country,” said Dunhill.
“The cultivation, manufacture, supply and distribution of controlled drugs continues to be a major driver in all serious crimes within our communities. We will continue to use all available resources to strip assets and wealth from those who have accumulated it through the sale of these illicit substances.”
“We continue to encourage anyone with information about suspected money laundering and drug dealing in their community to contact us on 105, or anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.”
