A multi-million dollar international drug operation has been upended with New Zealand, Australian, and Canadian authorities working together to uncover an elaborate scheme to import methamphetamine hidden in maple syrup.
Two men have been arrested and had $40,000 in cash seized as part of a Gisborne operation targeting methamphetamine supply.
Their arrests come after several search warrants were carried out in the region this week.
The National Organised Crime Group (NOCG) has led 13 search warrants at Gisborne commercial and residential addresses this week, nine on Monday and four on Wednesday.
“The focus of the operation was to disrupt the supply of methamphetamine into the Gisborne community and reduce the impact and harm it is causing,” Detective Inspector Darrin Thompson, of the NOCG, said.
The two 36-year-old men from Hawke’s Bay appeared in Gisborne District Court on Wednesday on charges relating to the supply of methamphetamine and cannabis as well as one charge of possession of ammunition.
About 1.8kg of cannabis, 47 rounds of ammunition, and about $40,000 in cash were seized.
One of the men is due to reappear on September 6, and the other at a later date.
As a result of the search warrants, Gisborne police have had a significant presence in the community over the past few days, engaging with locals and providing reassurance around their activities.
“This proactive activity in the community continues to be a part of our focus on organised crime and gang harm in Hawke’s Bay and Tairawhiti,” Thompson said.
In March, police seized three-quarters of a tonne of methamphetamine in a raid on a South Auckland warehouse, the biggest meth bust in New Zealand history.
The meth seizure followed a police investigation into the lacing of cans of beer with the Class A drug, which killed 24-year-old Aiden Sagala after he drank one earlier this year.
A large number of beer cans, possibly laced with meth, were seized by police from a warehouse on Ryan Pl, Manukau. Photo / Jason Oxenham
A provisional total of 747kg was seized during a search of a property on Ryan Pl in Manukau in March, part of Operation Lavender, a police spokesperson said.
“This figure comprises crystallised methamphetamine as well as methamphetamine extracted from the cans found at the address.”
Researchers and drug harm reduction groups say New Zealand is “at the mercy” of a growth in global meth production, threatening an “exponential increase” of harm to our communities.
Drug Foundation chief executive Sarah Helm said news of the seizure was depressing and reiterated that we were seeing an increase in global production.
“New Zealand is a small place with a very high price on methamphetamine which leaves us very vulnerable to a big international market,” she said.
However, Helm said the Drug Foundation hadn’t seen an increase in meth consumption.
“We haven’t observed an increase in wastewater results or consumption we’re aware of, which is good news,” she said.
“The bad news for us is with this huge growth in the volume being seized. At some point a big amount will get across the line and into the community.
Honey Bear beer cans seized by police in March. Photo / Jason Oxenham
“And while that supply has grown, our community resilience hasn’t. Seizures are one way of dealing with it, but we also need to reduce demand.”
Helm said meth was one of the most harmful drugs circulating in the community.
The Drug Foundation had been calling for an increase in addiction support and harm reduction policies “for a while”.
“We know there’s a high correlation between people with unmet needs such as ADHD who might be untreated who might try and alleviate their health harms with methamphetamine.
“You could bring down demand [for meth] by addressing some of those unmet health needs. We’re not seeing action on these things, and these are things that might actually help to provide us with resilience,” she said.
“We need much better preparedness for a change in our global drug supply.
“This [seizure] is depressing, to be honest.”
Aiden Sagala died after drinking beer allegedly contaminated with methamphetamine. Photo / Supplied
Wilkins said meth had a “fairly high level” of addictiveness.
“Not as much as heroin, but a lot more than, say, cannabis.
“It’s also associated with mental health disorders, psychosis where too much is used - which is quite common - and it’s a stimulant, so people tend to stay awake for hours and hours - sometimes days,” he said.
“It also costs a lot of money. Meth users need to support that habit through property crime or membership of an organised crime group.”
Police encourage anyone with information about illegal activity taking place in their community to contact 105, or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. If there is immediate risk to life or property, call 111.
