TWO FOUND IN CANNABIS GROVE ALLEGEDLY HELD AT GUNPOINT

Two members of a group of four men were allegedly held at gunpoint and
beaten after being found in a South Taranaki cannabis plantation, police say.

Detective Sergeant Blair Burnett of Hawera told the Taranaki Daily
News that the four, aged between 15 and 26, allegedly spent Sunday
combing coastal wastelands looking for cannabis.

They discovered a grove of 22 plants in a clearing among gorse and
blackberry, but were interrupted by two men, one allegedly armed with
a rifle.

"Two of the young guys did a runner, dived over the gorse and
blackberry into the stream and got away, the other two were allegedly
taken hostage at gunpoint," Mr Burnett said.

The hostages were also allegedly handed out a bit of a beating and
subjected to demands and death threats before one managed to get away.

His companion received a few more bruises and abuse before eventually
being let go. Police were called after suspicion was raised by the
behaviour of the two members of the group who first escaped. They were
arrested and their story started to come out.

On Monday warrants were issued and searches made and yesterday two men
aged 28 and 40 made a brief court appearance in Hawera facing serious
assault, cultivation and firearms charges. They were released on bail
to appear again on April 11.