Five charged as meth and firearms found in Hutt Valley bust

Five people have been charged following a five month-long investigation into the importation of methamphetamine in Wellington.

Police say the joint operation with Customs led to nine search warrants executed in the Hutt Valley this week.

Five hundred grams of methamphetamine and two firearms and associated ammunition were seized during the warrants along with other evidence.

As a result, police say three men and two women aged between 35 and 45 years will face a variety of charges that include importation and supply of Class A controlled drugs and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

“The combination of drugs and firearms is always a potentially lethal recipe for harm and continues to be of grave concern for police and the communities it serves,” says Detective Inspector Darrin Thomson.

According to police, the investigation identified a supply chain of between five and 10 kilograms of methamphetamine imported into NZ from the United States, China, Canada and the United Kingdom during the investigation.

The social harm cost of this amount of methamphetamine is between $20 and $45 million according to the NZ Illicit Harm Index 2020, police say.

“The 30-plus staff deployed into the Hutt Valley this week have made a significant dent in this group’s supply chain and held those offenders to account, as reflected in the serious charges laid,” says Detective Inspector Thomson.