Arrest after seizure of meth, stolen items

Detective Jeff Foley with the methamphetamine and some of the recovered stolen items. He says the find shows burglaries go hand-in-hand with drugs. Photo / File

Police found methamphetamine and a slew of stolen items when they searched a Mongrel Mob member's Hastings house this week.

Police searched the house on Bledisloe St, Hastings on Wednesday, recovering about 10-15g of methamphetamine.

They also found an undisclosed amount of cash and "a large number" of stolen items - including chainsaws, power tools, iPhones, laptops, tablets, lawnmowers, weed-eaters, hand tools and camping gear.

A 38-year-old Hastings man appeared in the Hastings District Court on Wednesday charged with possessing methamphetamine for supply.

He was remanded in custody until November 18.

Police said further charges were pending regarding the stolen property.

Detective Sergeant Jason Crowe said Wednesday's operation had shown a link between drugs and burglaries.

"We have always said that burglaries go hand-in-hand with drugs and we know that many people steal and burgle houses to fund drug habits."

The items recovered on Wednesday were "a classic example" of how stolen property was used as currency to get drugs.

"There is a flourishing trade in stolen property in Hawke's Bay and we urge anyone who is offered cheap goods to think twice about why they may be so cheap and where they have come from."

Police had identified the owners of most of the items, but owners were being sought for an expensive commercial socket set that was likely to have come from an automotive business.

The bust came after police seized methamphetamine estimated to be worth about $125,000 last month.

Two pistols were also seized and cash totalling about $310,000 was unearthed near a small farm on the Napier-Taupo highway.

About 25 police staff were involved in the searches, including the Hawkes Bay Armed Offenders Squad and a Specialist Search Group.

A 53-year-old man, from the Te Haroto area, was charged with supplying methamphetamine.

A judge remanded him in custody with interim name suppression and without plea. He was due to appear in court again yesterday.

Any potential owners of the socket set found in Wednesday's search were advised to phone Mr Crowe on 06 8310700.