POLICE SWOOPS NET $10M IN DRUG-RING LOOT

Police have seized cash and drugs worth nearly $10 million, a
$150,000 car and three homes during swoops on drug syndicates in the
past two weeks.

The cash, which in one case was too bulky to fit into the boot of a
police car, is alleged to have been the profits of dealing in
methamphetamine, the highly addictive and destructive drug known in
its pure form as P.

Superintendent Ted Cox, commander of Auckland police's metro crime
and operations support, said police had mounted five operations in
the past fortnight, most in Auckland.

They have targeted distribution and money laundering rings.

They have seized methamphetamine worth $4.46 million, firearms and
stolen property, a car, three houses worth up to $1.5 million and
$4.76 million in cash.

More than 35 people have been arrested.

In the most recent operation, after which two people were charged
with money laundering, $950,000 was found at one house, some of it
hidden under beds.

Earlier in the week $250,000 was seized from people arrested during
Operation Ice Age, and $2.5 million was later found at a business.

In May, police and Customs officers seized methamphetamine and
pseudoephedrine worth $135 million hidden inside two shipping containers.

Mr Cox said the the operations - many of which involved up to a year
of investigations - would hopefully reduce the supply of drugs by
disrupting some groups and putting others out of business.

"However, experience also tells us that the profits from this type of
criminal activity will lead others to become involved and the
networks to quickly re-establish."

Mr Cox said most of the people arrested were part of organised
criminal syndicates. Some were gang members, mainly at the lower end
of the chain.

Mr Cox said research was continuing into understanding the drug
market and designing ways of disrupting it. Results due next year
would hopefully show how much effect the police operations had on the
availability of methamphetamine and for how long.

Giving people good information that deterred them from taking drugs
or helped them with addictions would help reduce the demand for drugs
and increase community safety.

Drug Foundation executive director Ross Bell said the results of the
recent operations showed that the Government's focus and allocation
of resources in the last Budget for dealing with the methamphetamine
problem was paying off.

But he agreed with Mr Cox that the problem would start to abate only
once the demand for the drugs was reduced.

For that to happen, education and dealing with drug addiction had to
be given the same amount of money as police and Customs got.

"We need to have a better balance between the good work of police and
Customs, but also new drug prevention and demand reduction
programmes. Some of that would include better drug education in schools.

"If we put the same investment into schools that we have given to
police and Customs, in the long term that would be better use of resources."

Dope Busts

* Operation Major, May: 95kg of crystal meth, 150kg of
pseudoephedrine and firearms seized. The drugs, valued at up to $135
million, were hidden in two shipping containers. Seven arrests.

* Operation Manu, 12-month investigation ending last week: $1.5
million of meth and $867,000 cash seized. Sixteen arrests.

* Operation Hose, last week: Targeting street dealing syndicate. $1.5
million of meth and $193,000 cash seized. Three properties held,
pending "proceeds of crime" action.

* Operation Dolmio, Tuesday: Targeting a Christchurch supply network
allegedly obtaining drugs from Auckland. Meth valued at $90,000, guns
and stolen property found at an Auckland house. Nine arrests.

* Operation Ice Age, this week: Targeting a distribution ring and
money laundering in Auckland. Ten arrests during operation. About 55g
of meth found. Cash seized - $250,000 from individuals and $2.5
million from a business.

* Operation Palace/Lotus, this week: Street-level dealing and money
laundering. A $150,000 car, firearms and $950,000 in cash seized. Two arrests.