City leads in K2 crackdown

Sergeant Jim Kernohan

Waikato Police and the District Health Board seem to be leading the way nationally with their efforts to enforce the Psychoactive Substances Act.

Inspector Rob Duindam, of the criminal investigation group in Wellington, heads up the implementation of the Act for police. Mr Duindam said while every district was doing a good job, Waikato was "certainly putting in lots of extra effort and being very proactive - Waikato is right up there".

He said establishment of a new regulatory environment made it difficult for frontline officers and Ministry of Health staff, but they were "cleaning up" the industry.

"And it will keep changing. We liken it to shaking the tree ... the rotten apples fall out and we'll hopefully see a reduction in the size of the industry and more people who are highly compliant."

And Hamilton's legal highs industry looks set to shrink further. Police swooped on another two Hamilton businesses and an individual for breaching the Act earlier this week.

In the first incident a 35-year-old male sickness beneficiary was arrested in Garden Place on Sunday for allegedly selling synthetic cannabis.

City licensing supervisor Sergeant Jim Kernohan said the man was found with $3000 in $20 notes on him and 65 unmarked packets of what appears to be synthetic cannabis material, which has been sent away for forensic analysis. He has been charged with selling or supplying a non-approved psychoactive product and will appear in the Hamilton District Court on October 22.

The following day police and Waikato District Health Board officials conducted a controlled purchase operation (CPO) with the assistance of a 17-year-old volunteer.

"The CPO was focused on checking the compliance of all Hamilton's stores licensed to sell synthetic cannabis under the Psychoactive Substances Act, as well as several premises previously identified by the public through Crimestoppers as businesses selling these products," Mr Kernohan said.

"Two licensed stores in Victoria St failed to ask our volunteer for identification and sold her synthetic cannabis in breach of Section 49 which relates to the restriction of selling approved products to persons under 18 years, and face prosecution."

For one of the Victoria St businesses yesterday's breach of the act was its second in two months.

The first prosecution nationally under the new act was that of the Beerescourt Superette owner after more than 1200 packets of synthetic cannabis products were seized.

Later an unlicensed adult store in Te Awamutu failed a CPO.

A third business was implicated last month after a storekeeper sold a volunteer a synthetic cannabinoid product as well as a soft drink, which is in breach of the act which prohibits the sale of synthetic cannabis products in premises where foodstuffs are sold.

Mr Kernohan said businesses and individuals needed to realise synthetic cannabis was a problem that combined government agencies were determined to take action on.

"Individuals and businesses should be well aware the public has made it clear they are not prepared to accept the societal harm linked to the unlawful sale of synthetic cannabis. They have reinforced their concerns with a steady flow of reliable information both to our agencies and anonymously with Crimestoppers which we encourage other concerned people to do."

Waikato DHB health protection advisor Nick Young said it was concerning thatsome retailers were failing to carry out basic compliance requirements at the point of sale.

"The approach used in CPOs is that the volunteers used always give their correct age when asked," said Mr Young.

"It's hard to comprehend that a retailer makes the decision to sell psychoactive substances and goes through the whole licensing procedure only to drop the ball the first time that they are tested."