The Policing of Drugs in New Zealand

This report provides an overview of the policing of drug possession offences in New Zealand. The report focuses on all events and occurrences involving the personal possession and use of controlled drugs, and the possession of utensils, both pre and post the Misuse of Drugs Act (MODA) Amendments in August 2019. All actions taken by Police were assessed, considering a person’s age, past offending history, and other offences committed at the same time.

Data contained within this report are based on information recorded in the Police dynamic operational database as at 30 June 2023. Changes made to source data after this date will not be reflected in this report. For this reason, comparisons with other data releases should be treated with caution.