POLICE TARGET 200 IN DRUGS CRACKDOWN

Police say they have struck a heavy blow against drug crime in a national
sweep that was expected to net 200 people yesterday and today on drugs and
other charges.

The primary target of the operations, carried out simultaneously in
Northland, Wellington and Canterbury and backed by smaller operations in
other areas, has been the manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine
(speed).

Up to 200 offenders had been identified, and police were executing about
220 search warrants yesterday, police national crime manager Detective
Superintendent Bill Bishop said.

"The rise in the demand for methamphetamine in New Zealand through the
dance party, rave party and nightclub scene has been matched by a prolific
number of laboratories that have emerged to manufacture and distribute
these drugs," Mr Bishop said. Police were concerned about the huge rise in
the number of labs discovered - 40 since January this year, compared with
two or three last year.

"Whilst Ecstasy is becoming a drug of choice, one has to appreciate that we
are at the tail end of a worldwide phenomenon.

"[Methamphetamine] has become the drug of choice in Australia, Canada, the
United States, England and right throughout Asia," he said.

But unlike other countries, New Zealand drug dealers were importing far
less and manufacturing far more.

"One of the big factors for that is that ... once you have the precursors
together you can have your product ready for sale on the street and use
within 72 hours."

Mr Bishop said organised crime groups such as gangs had clearly been
heavily involved in the manufacture, sale and distribution of
methamphetamine and other drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, heroin, morphine
and MDMA.

The Northland, Wellington and Canterbury operations were independent but
coordinated nationally.

In Wellington's largest undercover operation since 1992, police yesterday
arrested more than 50 people.

The arrests, including one in Nelson, three in Palmerston North and one in
Dunedin, came after two months' work.

Police said they had gathered evidence against more than 80 people.

They seized more than $80,000 worth of drugs, including cannabis, LSD,
cocaine, Ecstasy, methamphetamine and morphine.

They also uncovered $250,000 worth of stolen property.

About 200 police were involved in carrying out 78 search warrants.

In Northland, police acted on almost 100 search warrants.

Northland police commander Superintendent Viv Rickard said a large number
of arrests had been made in yesterday's operation, which started at dawn
and involved 200 police.

Most of the search warrants were carried out in Whangarei.

In Canterbury, more than 100 police had arrested 44 people so far on drugs
and firearms charges.

That operation also netted offenders in Nelson, Dunedin, Westport,
Lyttelton and as far north as Masterton, Detective Inspector Paul Kench of
Christchurch CIB said in a statement.

Police in the eastern Bay of Plenty arrested 10 people on property and
drugs charges in Opotiki and Te Kaha.

Using 13 search warrants, police found cannabis, stolen chainsaws,
televisions and firearms, Bay of Plenty law enforcement team Detective
Sergeant Chris McLeod said.