POLICE LINE UP MILL STAFF FOR DRUG CHECK

Hamilton: More than 70 workers at Kinleith forestry mill were lined up to
be sniffed by a police drug dog after a tip-off that employees were stoned
on the job.

Workers and union officials said the raid last Wednesday by police from
Tokoroa and Rotorua was unacceptable.

James Boyce, the manager of the Carter Holt Harvey-owned Kinleith mill,
58km northwest of Taupo, said he did not have time to comment.

Workers had just started their 7pm shift at Kinleith L plywood mill when
police arrived and started the search.

Detective Sergeant Mark Loper, of Tokoroa, confirmed yesterday about 20
officers and a dog searched the mill for about an hour.

He said a search warrant was issued after police were told people were
smoking cannabis before work and operating heavy machinery while they were
stoned.

He declined to say where the tip came from, but mill management was given
advance warning of the search.

A small amount of cannabis was found on one man but he was not charged.

Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union national secretary Andrew
Little said he had not heard of any similar workplace searches before.

He said employees were manhandled. One was dragged from the toilet and
another grabbed from a forklift. He said police also strip-searched one man.

Mr Little said a union lawyer was at the mill on Tuesday taking statements,
and the union would help people with complaints to the Police Complaints
Authority and might sue Carter Holt Harvey.

"There was a sense of shock about it, then anger and outrage that they
should be treated that way.

"When you turn up at work you don't expect to be the subject of a police raid."

Mr Little said workers found the "aggressive, violent police tactics"
intimidating.

Det Sgt Loper said just one man was physically searched.

In 1997 job seekers at Kinleith's $300 million pulp and paper upgrade
project had to take drug tests.