10 Apr 2013

Scores of arrests after drug bust in Bay of Plenty

5:07 pm on 10 April 2013

Nearly 100 people have been arrested in a major operation against cannabis growers in Bay of Plenty.

Police say they found more than 20,000 cannabis plants in the four-week operation and say they targeted growers mostly in rural parts of the district, some with more than 700 plants.

In one search, officers found 1200 grams of illegal substances which they say could have produced more the $300,000 worth of methamphetamine.

The 99 people arrested in eastern and western Bay of Plenty, Rotorua and Taupo face various charges.

Police say the preventative benefits of the operation are significant, with the savings in terms of social harm estimated at about $52 million.