20 Mar 2009

260 arrested in North Island drug raids

4:05 pm on 20 March 2009

Police have arrested 260 people and recovered nearly 40 firearms in drug raids across the east of the North Island.

Operation Kristy took place over just a few weeks and involved police from Hawke's Bay, Gisborne and Bay of Plenty.

Police destroyed about 40,000 cannabis plants and are claiming a major victory over cannabis growing operations from Coromandel Peninsula to central Hawke's Bay.

They also seized five vehicles, several large quantities of cash and discovered a methamphetamine lab.

The officer in charge of the operation, Detective Senior Sergeant Tim Anderson, says the raids again highlight the large-scale business cannabis cultivation provides for organised crime.

The operation included staff from the Ministry of Fisheries, Customs and the Inland Revenue Department.