Gisborne meth operation: Bikes, cars and $81,000 cash seized by police

Gisborne Police, with the assistance of the Police Asset Recovery Unit from Hastings, executed three search warrants for property allegedly obtained through illicit funds connected to the methamphetamine supply chain. Photo / NZ Police

Police have seized four motorbikes, two vehicles and over $80,000 in cash allegedly obtained through illicit funds connected to the methamphetamine supply in Gisborne.

Gisborne police, with the assistance of the Police Asset Recovery Unit from Hastings, executed three search warrants this week in the area.

During the search, police located around $81,000 in cash, a Holden ClubSport, a Ford Ranger and multiple Harley-Davidson and Honda motorcycles.

Central Asset Recovery Unit Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Fischer said targeting illicit benefits obtained by drug offending denied offenders the success of their offending and removed their ability to expand their offending.

Police in Gisborne located around $81,000 in cash, a Holden ClubSport, a Ford Ranger and multiple Harley-Davidson and Honda motorcycles. Photo / NZ Police

He said Gisborne Police would continue to hold people to account for supplying drugs as they saw firsthand the harm it causes to the community.

Detective Sergeant Eric Hunter said the operation would have a direct impact on the local methamphetamine supply chain.

“Our partnership with the Asset Recovery Unit is proving very beneficial for the community, and we will continue to work with them to target organised crime in Gisborne,” Hunter said.

Police urged anyone who had information about illicit drugs or unlawful offending to contact them.

Information can be reported through 105 online or via phone, or anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

In April, eight people, aged between 19 and 46, in Gisborne were charged with drug dealing offences, including cannabis and methamphetamine, after police executed search warrants.

Detective Inspector Dave de Lange said in a statement at the time that police seized “significant” quantities of methamphetamine and cannabis during these warrants.

Methamphetamine consumption for the Eastern District, which includes Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay, sat at around 910 milligrams per day per 1000 people for the first quarter of 2024 – the highest of all policing districts in NZ.

At the time, Eastern District police said it operated the Resilience against Organised Crime in the Community (ROCC) programme, which aimed to combat organised crime by combining social and economic intervention with targeted enforcement action.

Where to get help

• Alcohol & Drug Helpline: 0800 787 797

• Narcotics Anonymous: NZ 0800 628632

• 1737 – free text/phone to speak with a trained counsellor

• Youthline: 0800 376 633