FOCUS ON BUYERS WORKS

CANNABIS supply lines are being strangled as a police net continues
to catch drug buyers.

Counties Manukau East area commander, inspector Jim Searle, says a
police operation targeting buyers rather than sellers is having an impact.

"We're starting to hear it's more difficult to buy drugs. We are
actually restricting the supply through this, which is good to hear.
It was our objective right from the start, to cut back on the buyers,
the customers."

The Howick-based commander says police have arrested more than 60
people since Operation Buyer Beware began in March. The youngest
arrested was 16, the oldest 48.

Mr Searle says the most recent roundups include a produce assistant,
butcher, fire technician, builder, and five unemployed people.

"The majority of them were from within our area, which is a bit of a change."

They included one person from Howick and one from Whitford, three
from Manurewa, three from Mangere and two from Otara.

The operation focuses on tinny houses in Otara, and those who choose
to frequent them (Times, March 19).

While marijuana suppliers were previously prime targets for police,
that focus has now broadened to include concentrated efforts on
buyers of the drug.

Otara's Manukau City councillor, Su'a William Sio, is calling on the
community to express support for operation by passing information
about tinny houses and drug buyers to police.

"Zero tolerance for tinny houses, buyers and sellers of drugs is a
message that is getting out there, thanks to the efforts of area
commander Jim Searle and his team.

"Our collective challenge now is to find ways of sustaining this
operation long term, and to extend it throughout all parts of Manukau
City," he says.

"I believe our local communities don't just want the drug trade to be
driven underground, we want it driven out of our communities
permanently, away from our young people."

Mr Sio says it's vital that communities continue to collect
information identifying tinny houses and buyers.

Information including names, car number plates or even photographs of
these activities could be useful to police, he says.

Mr Searle says feedback from the community has been largely positive,
despite the odd remark that police 'should be catching real criminals'.

"I think the community is very supportive, generally," he says.