Drugs found in Christchurch police raids

RACHEL YOUNG

Large quantities of performance and image-enhancing drugs have been found during police raids in Christchurch.

An operating pill press, unidentified drugs, prescription medications and large sums of cash were some of the items seized in a series of inter-agency searches of properties throughout the country this week.

Waikato Crime Services supervisor Detective Senior Sergeant Nigel Keall said police, Customs and Medsafe investigators raided properties in Christchurch, Auckland and Hamilton as part of Operation Adder.

The search teams found "large quantities" of performance and image-enhancing drugs and unidentified powders in Christchurch.

Keall said there would be arrests in Christchurch afterscientific analysis of the unidentified powders and prescription medicines.

"Operation Adder involved staff from each of the government agencies and centred on the investigation into a group who are alleged to have been importing the illicit drugs."

He said the imported drugs wererepackaged and sold to customers in New Zealand for "considerable profit".

The group was responsible for importing over21 kilograms of 4MEC, a common substance in ecstasy pills, which was sufficient to manufacture more than 200,000 pills with a total street value of $8 million.

At one Hamilton address, several kilograms of illicit drugs, steroids and prescription medicines were found, along with $178,000 cash.

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Drugs found in Christchurch police raids