Five more appear after major drug bust

A selection of firearms and methamphetamine displayed after they were seized by police. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Five more people arrested in connection with an Asian drug ring have appeared in court in Auckland today.

The five men appeared in Auckland District Court facing representative charges of manufacturing and supplying methamphetamine.

They were all remanded to reappear for a committal hearing in November. All bar one of them is on bail.

Also due to appear in November are 10 others who appeared in court last week.

They were arrested following a bust on July 22 of a financial exchange business that was allegedly laundering money in an Asian drug ring.

The bust was part of an investigation by a new police unit, the Organised and Financial Crime Agency New Zealand, that in the past year has seized more than $400,000 in cash, $6 million-plus worth of methamphetamine, $750,000 worth of ContacNT (the core ingredient in the manufacture of methamphetamine) and 21 illegally acquired firearms.

- NZPA