POLICE ON DRUG 'STING' SAW KIDS SMOKING P

Police will alert Child, Youth and Family Services to Hawke's Bay
properties where children might be smoking "P" or might be exposed to it.

Undercover police saw children smoking P at two addresses during the early
stages of Operation Pickles, targeting known methamphetamine and cannabis
dealers in the wider Hastings area.

Detective Sergeant Luke Shadbolt said they also reported children sitting
with adults smoking P and cannabis.

One child was just two weeks old.

Mr Shadbolt said he would be providing 10 addresses to Child, Youth and
Family so social workers could check on the welfare of children living
there in the future.

About 10 children ­ including the baby and others aged up to about 14 were
present at one home when drug deals involving the officers were taking place.

Police this week raided about 30 properties and arrested a similar number
after the two officers bought about $10,000 worth of methamphetamine and
cannabis since mid-February.

At least 14 of those arrested face charges of selling or supplying a class
A drug, which has a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Many of the charges related to purchases made by the undercover officers,
ranging from "points" of P for about $100 each, to grams selling at
$800-$1200 each.

Mr Shadbolt said several thousand dollars in cash had been seized in the
searches, but not in particularly significant amounts at any one time.

No one had been charged with manufacturing P or methamphetamine, but Mr
Shadbolt said the police had been focusing on those distributing the drug.
It is regularly blamed as a significant background in domestic violence and
particularly bizarre violent crimes.

The Hawke's Bay office of Child, Youth and Family could not be reached.