WAITEMATA POLICE MEDIA STATEMENT:
Commercial Cannabis Growing Operations Discovered
11 July 2013:
On Wednesday 10 July 2013 Waitematä Police executed a number of search warrants at five addresses across the District. The addresses searched ranged from Kaiwaka, Kumeu, Whenuapai, Albany and Henderson.
Police discovered a number of sophisticated commercial cannabis growing operations at the respective addresses and located 500 cannabis plants at various stages of maturity and approximately eight kilograms of dried cannabis head along with substantial cash and a modified 0.22 calibre pistol.
It is estimated that the cannabis seizures have a street value of $600k not counting future yields from what were very sophisticated operations established for long term productions.
The Waitematä Field Crime Manager, Detective Inspector Greg Cramer says, “The execution of the warrants is the culmination of an extensive investigation into commercial cannabis operations within the Waitematä District.
“Four persons have been arrested and have been jointly charged with ‘participating in an organised criminal group and cultivating cannabis’. It is likely that additional charges relating to the theft of electricity will be laid.”
“Three of those arrested will be appearing in the Henderson District Court and one in the North Shore District Court on today’s date.”