Police have uncovered several commercial cannabis growing operations worth thousands of dollars this morning during a large-scale operation by Waitemata Police. (Videos available and photos attached to this media release on website)
At 7.30am this morning, 46 Police officers carried out 10 search warrants at addresses in Beach Haven, Sunnyvale, Henderson, Massey, Albany and central Auckland. A yacht moored at the Westhaven Marina is also being searched.
At one address alone, 800 cannabis plants, of which 600 were mature, were found inside an industrial unit in View Road, Henderson, where officers found a well-established commercial growing operation. Inside the unit several rooms have been dedicated to the various stages of the growing process, including a nursery where plants have been cloned, and even a commercial shredder to destroy the plant stalks.
Two shipping containers have been moved into the unit, and transformed into growing rooms, complete with ventilation systems and charcoal filters to keep the air clean.
When officers removed the lids of two fish bins, they found thousands of dollars worth of cannabis head.
The scene is under armed guard and a number of specialised Police, including forensics, are on the scene. An ESR expert with specialist knowledge of commercial cannabis operations has flown up from Wellington and will work towards placing a total dollar value on the amount of cannabis found this morning, including past income and potential proceeds from the criminal activity.
"The electrical setup here is extremely professional and has been very cleverly done, to the extent that the wiring has been done so that the majority of the power isn't being paid for. The offenders here have invested a substantial amount of money into this operation" says Detective Senior Sergeant Stan Brown, Waitemata Police.
Across town in Beach Haven, North Shore, a further 246 plants have been found growing in the basement of a house.
Waitemata Police officers are also searching a yacht in the Westhaven Marina, a commercial unit in Albany, and residential addresses in Sunnyvale, Massey and central Auckland.
Today's search warrants are the culmination of a Waitemata Police investigation that has been underway for some months, into the large-scale production and supply of cannabis in the Waitemata area.
"At this stage we have arrested 8 people from various locations and they are being spoken to by Police at our North Shore and Waitakere stations. All of them are expected to be facing charges of supplying or cultivating cannabis" says Det Snr Sgt Brown.
"For some time we've been aware that the growing and sale of cannabis was happening in our district. We know that at one address alone, more than a hundred people a day have been visiting to purchase cannabis. Today's operation will significantly disrupt and stop that, and the social harm that comes from the supply and sale of cannabis, which we know contributes to volume crime, such as burglary, theft and stealing cars" says Det Snr Sgt Brown.
Further details about the persons charged and court dates will be clarified later today.
A large number of videos of the cannabis found this morning are available, please email beth.bates@police.govt.nz. Det Snr Sgt Brown is also available for interview.
ENDS
Beth Bates/Waitemata Police
