Weapons found at Waikato P lab

Police recovered weapons and enough chemicals to produce a large amount of methamphetamine when they raided a rural Waikato property yesterday.

Detectives and armed offenders squad members found "significant" quantities of chemicals used to manufacture the drug in a garage on a property near Ohinewai, north of Huntly.

Ammunition and a gun with a silencer were also found, Detective Sergeant Rod Carpinter of Waikato CIB said.

Two people were arrested, with one charged in relation to drug manufacturing.

Others were to be interviewed today.

"I'm hopeful that we've managed to stop the process where a large amount of methamphetamine could have been available on the street and we're hoping that we've managed to capture a person who's heavily involved in the manufacturing scene and finally managed to curtail his enterprise," Mr Carpinter said.

The risk to the public and police from links between the illicit drugs trade and illegal firearms was highlighted with the recovering of weapons from the property, he said.

"More often than not we are finding it necessary to deploy armed police in support of such investigations as offenders involved in the drugs trade or dishonesty offending to pay for their drug habits take to arming themselves."

- NZPA