MORE COURT APPEARANCES AFTER INTERNATIONAL PARTY DRUGS BUST

More of the eight people arrested in Manukau, Wellington and Christchurch
yesterday as part of an international drugs syndicate bust were due to
appear in court today on a wide range of charges.

They included importing and conspiring to import LSD, supplying LSD,
cocaine, methamphetamine, ecstasy, cannabis and its products, and money
laundering, police said.

Police said the syndicate had links to New Zealand's dance scene.

One Canadian national would appear in Manukau District Court and two New
Zealand men, a Canadian woman and an American man were due in Wellington
District Court, Wellington police spokeswoman Kaye Calder said.

Two New Zealanders and a Canadian appeared in Christchurch District Court
yesterday afternoon.

One of those three, a company director involved in the management of one of
the country's biggest New Year parties -- the Alpine Unity festival at
Flock Hill Station near Arthur's Pass -- was remanded in custody for a week.

"These events attract young people who like to dance, like to party, some
drink, some like to experiment with drugs. It is often an avenue of using
drugs," Wellington Organised Crime Unit boss Detective Senior Sergeant Paul
Berry told National Radio today.

The festival's future is now in doubt. Tickets for the event from December
31 until February 2 ranged from $100 to $155 and a large number have
already been sold.

"I'd be surprised if Alpine went ahead. The principals have been arrested
on serious drugs charges and police will be opposing bail," Mr Berry said.

New Zealand agencies were backed up by counterparts in Australia, the
United States and Canada during the investigation, which included a
five-month bugging operation.

Properties in Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland were raided by Customs
and police officers about 9am yesterday.

Items seized in the raids included LSD, small quantities of ecstasy,
equipment to make methamphetamine and chemicals that Environmental Science
and Research scientists and the Christchurch drug squad would analyse.

There were no arrests overseas.

This week, Canadian Mounties intercepted packages containing 6000 tabs of
LSD with a street value of about $240,000 heading for New Zealand.