Police in the upper North Island have arrested 11 people on drug and weapons charges as part of a 10-month investigation.
Police say they found ecstasy pills, a pill press and large sums of cash at properties in West Auckland last Thursday and arrested five men on drug and organised crime charges.
They appeared at Waitakere District Court last Friday and will be remanded in custody until 15 April.
Six people in Gisborne and Hamilton have also been arrested on ecstasy and weapons charges.
The organised crime supervisor for Waitemata district, Detective Sergeant Dean Miles, says this was a small but important step towards combatting the drug.
"It's just a small dent into the ecstasy operation New Zealand-wide but it's a good start in trying to eliminate the ecstasy trade from New Zealand."
He says the operation is ongoing and they have a number of other leads to follow.
