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Registered: 2019-04-01

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[NEWS] Police arrest 35 people and seize $1m in Wellington meth operat

A nine month investigation into two drug syndicates - one the King Cobra gang, another unnamed - has culminated in 200 charges being laid and $1.1 million in assets seized in the past three weeks.

The 31 men and four women allegedly involved, aged between 23 and 42, will face charges covering distribution of methamphetamine and cannabis, money laundering and firearms offending.

Military-style semi-automatic rifle and an Uzi pistol were among the seizures of drugs, gold, cash and jewellery put on display by police on Tuesday.

Detective Inspector Darrin Thomson said the arrests targeted "top echelon" drug offending that caused harm in Porirua, Wellington and Hutt Valley.

The price of methamphetamine in the region has already risen in response to the operation, he said.

"That's certainly a win for us, and it's certainly a win for the community."

A significant number - "towards ten" - those arrested were current and formerly patched King Cobra members, Thomson said.

The second drug syndicate was not gang affiliated and any international connections were still being explored by police. One drug run on its way to Wellington was intercepted in Taupō.

The scale of the drug dealing could be seen in a 1.6 kilogram bag of methamphetamine held by one of the syndicates, Detective Senior Sergeant Tim Leitch said.

Such an amount was the equivalent of 16,000 points, or doses, of the drug.

"That gives you a flavour for the size. This was two high level operations where these syndicates were making a lot of money, and causing a lot of harm, in our communities."

Among the assets seized were a five vehicles, including a classic Chevrolet Impala, seven motorbikes, six of which were Harley Davidsons, and a large boat.

Artwork, gold and jewellery were also seized with a total of $1.1m in assets claimed by police.

Of the eight firearms recovered, two were AR15 military-style semi-automatics, one a Uzi pistol, another a pistol and others cut down rifles. Many were loaded when discovered, and appeared to be illegally owned.

Thomson said: "That's a recipe for disaster, combining methamphetamine and firearms."

The social cost of the 3.6kg of methamphetamine seized equates to more than $4.3m in harm, according to police.

Many of those arrested had been referred to health services for their addiction.

Thomson said officers found five or six children in harm's way during the operation, all of which were referred to Oranga Tamariki.

Police began the investigation in August 2018 in response to information provided by the community, and the operation grew to involve 100 officers.

There were still a number of people being sought, which could lead to more arrests.

King Cobras, an Auckland gang started by Samoan migrants in the 1950s, began operating in Wellington region in about 2013.

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