Suspected drug lab near police station

Police have described as brazen four people charged after the discovery of a suspected methamphetamine lab in a central Wellington apartment building just metres from the central police station.

Officers were raiding a suspected drugs operation on the 13th floor of the upmarket building in Chews Lane in a pre-dawn raid on Friday when they stumbled upon an alleged methamphetamine or 'P'-lab.

Most of the occupants of 90 apartments in the building are back home after being evacuated about 6am. Police and the occupants all had to undergo decontamination in a hastily erected but specialised unit in nearby Harris Street.

Detective Senior Sergeant Tim Leitch said the suspects had been monitored for some time and operated very covertly.

"Brazen yes, but I guess surprising, maybe not. We're finding across the country these sort of meth labs cropping up anywhere. In terms of that, it's probably not surprising - they're small, they're mobile, they can ba anywhere."

Apartments near the raided flat were still off-limits on Friday evening.

Four in court

Four people have appeared in the Wellington District Court following the raid and have been charged with possession of a Class A drug for the purposes of supply.

Abby Rae Cummins, 20, and Kien Trung Dao, 22, were remanded on bail to reappear on 28 March.

Kevin Kakada Chea, 23 and his 29-year-old brother Puthy Thomas Chea have appeared in court and are in police custody. They will reappear in court for a further bail hearing next week.

Surprise find for police

Senior Sergeant Matthew Morris from the Wellington District command centre said police thought they would be carrying out a more routine drugs search.

"Somewhat unexpectedly, when we went in, we found the beginnings of a clan lab which took the staff somewhat by surprise. And then of course we had to call in the clan lab team, the ESR and everyone who goes into (the) address (had) to be decontaminated."

Mr Morris said it is extremely unusual to have such a lab in the centre of an urban building but the implications are deeply worrying.

"It's well-known that some of these labs have the potential to explode and cause substantial damage and people who do this are showing total disregard for not only their safety but their neighbours' safety as well. It's quite concerning."

However, he said apartment dwellers can mitigate the risk. "We frequently find in apartment blocks that people don't know their neighbours and we always encourage them to actually knock on their doors - get to know them, have little events, social gatherings - and our community teams do actively try and support that."

Radio New Zealand's reporter at the scene said when the building was evacuated dozens of residents, some still in dressing gowns, gathered on the street outside.

One resident in a wheelchair and two with walkers said they had been phoned by the building manager about 6am to tell them to leave - apparently ensuring that people with disabilities got out of the apartment block first.

Broadcaster Keith Quinn said he had no idea a suspected methamphetamine lab was operating in his apartment building. "No suspicious people really, just nice people coming and going. Some of them we know, some of them we don't."