20 May 2015

Arrests after cannabis, gin trap finds

9:30 pm on 20 May 2015

Two men have been arrested and charged with running a commerical cannabis plot and using illegal traps, including one that caught a kiwi, on the West Coast.

Kiwis are one of the species that could be at risk.

Police found the severed foot of a kiwi in a gin trap around the plot. Photo: AFP

Police said a large cannabis plot was found in dense bush near Blackball last month, in an area monitored by the Department of Conservation.

They found illegal gin traps around the plot; two contained dead weka and a third had the severed foot of a kiwi.

Wildlife Trust workers were able to track the bird but it could not be saved.

A 42-year-old man and a 52-year-old man were to appear in the Greymouth District Court charged with possession of cannabis plants for supply, cultivating cannabis and using a prohibited trap.

A 51-year-old woman was also charged with possession of cannabis, and will appear in court next month.