File photo / NZ Herald
Police have arrested 10 men after a four-month investigation centred on the Dunedin Mongrel Mob.
Officers this morning searched 15 properties in Dunedin, Wellington, Ashburton and the West Coast town of Blackball.
They seized about 8kg of cannabis with a street value of up to $98,000, police said.
Ten men were arrested, including five from Dunedin, four from the West Coast and one from west Otago.
The men all face charges of conspiracy to supply cannabis and possession of cannabis for supply.
Four have been charged with criminal breaches of trust over the alleged misuse of $20,000 from a charitable trust linked to government funding.
Two Dunedin men are charged with perverting the course of justice and a West Coast man is facing cultivation of cannabis charges.
Detective Inspector Steve McGregor praised the organised crime squad officers who led the investigation into the Dunedin Mongrel Mob Notorious Gang.
It was aimed at disrupting and combating drug crime carried out by gangs and organised criminals, he said.
"This investigation has been about coming down hard and targeting the criminal element in our communities."
The men were due to appear in the Dunedin and Greymouth District Courts today.
- HERALD ONLINE
Motorists are being warned to expect hazardous driving conditions.