Police today arrested seven people on a variety of drug-related charges including importing, selling and supplying, producing Class B controlled drugs, selling Class A controlled drugs, and offences in relation to Class C controlled drugs (cannabis) and utensils for consuming cannabis.
The drugs involved are MDMA (Ectasy) (class B) and LSD (Class A).
The arrests are the result of a six-month operation dubbed Operation Wing targeting people with international connections involved in drug dealing in Queenstown, Dunedin and Oamaru.
Police seized a small quantity of methamphetamine after executing eight search warrants primarily in the Queenstown area but also in Dunedin, Oamaru and Christchurch.
Those arrested will appear in court over the coming weeks on a variety of related charges. The charges include: importing, producing, selling and supplying Class B controlled drugs, selling Class A controlled drugs, and offences in relation to Class C controlled drugs (cannabis) and utensils for consuming the same.
Police allege the value of the drugs being imported and sold in the community had a street value of several hundred thousand dollars.
Some 39 police and customs staff, as well as the Christchurch-based Police Specialist Search Group and drug dogs, were involved in the operation's termination phase today.
Some of those arrested have connections with an international organised crime syndicate and local police are liaising via Interpol with the Royal Mounted Police in Canada and the Australian Police, Otago Rural CIB Officer in Charge, Detective Senior Sergeant Colin Blackie said.
In praising the efforts of Queenstown Police staff, Detective Snr Sgt Blackie said police in collaboration with other agencies were continuing to keep up the pressure on drugs and organised crime in the area.
Otago Rural Police Area Commander, Inspector Mike Cook, said the arrests should send reverberations through the illicit drug community.
"I urge anyone with information about these sorts of activities to contact police. Those involved can expect to receive a visit from us soon," he said.
Given that a number of alleged offenders are now facing charges before the courts, police would not be making any further comment about the operation, Det Snr Sgt Blackie said.
ENDS