Read the full coverage of the raids - and what the hunters saw - in Tuesday's Herald. Are you in the area? Have you seen anything?
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Two hunters alerted police to the presence of armed men in camouflage in the Ureweras after stumbling into their camp, the Herald can reveal.
Police today arrested 17 people in nationwide raids linked to alleged weapons training camps in the Bay of Plenty.
The story of what the
hunters saw - to be reported exclusively in Tuesday's New Zealand Herald - forms part of the background to an extensive investigation by 300 police including the specialist police anti-terrorist unit.
The raids appear to have targeted Maori, political and environmental activists and were conducted under the Suppression of Terrorism Act and Firearms Act.
Police Commissioner Howard Broad said the sting was the culmination of a year-long investigation into the alleged guerrilla-style training camps.
He said the raids were carried out in the interests of public safety.
TV3 quoted a source as saying a Napalm bomb had been set off at one of the camps the weekend before last. Napalm is an incendiary gel developed during World War II.
The police investigation focused on a core group of about 20 people but with 40 more potentially involved. Conversations were bugged, phones tapped, text messages intercepted and suspects secretly videoed.
A number of those arrested in today's raids - including Maori activist Tame Iti - appeared this afternoon in district courts in Wellington, Palmerston North, Hamilton and Auckland.
Most faced weapons charges and were granted interim name suppression, including four arrested in Wellington.
Wellington court appearances
The two men, aged 28 and 23, and two women, aged 36 and 30, faced a total of 20 charges between them when they appeared in Wellington District Court this afternoon.
The charges included possession of shotguns, semi-automatic weapons, molotov cocktails, and rifles, allegedly committed in Rotorua over the past year.
One woman was charged with possession of .22 calibre cartridges in Wellington.
The four were remanded in custody until Friday, but the judge said an application to transfer the cases to Auckland could be heard on Wednesday afternoon.
Auckland court
In Auckland six people appeared in Auckland District Court facing a raft of unlawful possession of firearms charges, including semi-automatic rifles, shotguns and Molotov cocktails.
Five of those people, four men and one woman, were granted interim name suppression by Judge Josephine Bouchier until their next court appearance on Friday October 19.
All five did not oppose being remanded in custody until Friday.
The sixth person, Jamie Beattie Lockett, 46 of Takanini, faces three charges under the Firearms Act.
Lockett represented himself and waived his right to interim name suppression.
Lockett objected to being remanded in custody, leading to a private hearing with the Judge and counsel.
Judge Bouchier remanded Lockett in custody for a bail hearing tomorrow morning.
One person appeared in Palmerston North this afternoon. Another appeared in Hamilton District Court, facing six charges and was remanded to the Auckland District Court on Friday.
Others have appeared in the Rotorua District Court.
Tame Iti, 55, appeared in Rotorua District Court facing eight charges relating to possessing firearms and molotov cocktails.
A 24-year-old Hamilton woman, who has name suppression, appeared facing five similar charges.
Judge James Rota asked the media and about 10 members of the public to leave while Iti and the woman's cases were dealt with.
He said he made the ruling given the uncertainty of the charges and the defendants' futures on the face of "scant information" before the court.
"The court is erring on the side of caution."
Iti was remanded in custody for a bail application to be made tomorrow at 3pm.
The Hamilton woman has been remanded in custody for two weeks, during which time Judge Rota said she could reapply for bail.
Police Commissioner Howard Broad said further charges under the Terrorism Suppression Act would be considered.
Under the Act, consent of the Attorney General is required before any prosecution can take place.
Search warrants
Search warrants were carried out in Whakatane, in nearby Ruatoki, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Palmerston North and Hamilton.
Mr Broad said firearms had been seized as a result of the searches.
He told a media conference today the raids had been done to minimise risk to lives and property.
The numbers of people attending the training camps had been in the "tens", he said.
"I believe it's prudent action that I have authorised in keeping with the interests of public safety."
The people involved had been of varying ethnicities, with a raft of different "motivations" for attending.
Training involved the use of firearms and other weapons for "military-style" activity.
Mr Broad said the activity was domestically oriented and there was no evidence of any international connection.
He would not comment on whether any specific threat had been made.
The operation marks the first time police have acted under the Terrorism Suppression Act, which came into force in 2002.
When asked if he thought police had identified all the people involved with the training camps, Mr Broad said he was "reasonably confident" police knew what the group had been doing.
Not everybody who attended the camps would be charged, as not all had necessarily committed an offence.
Prime Minister will not comment on threat
Prime Minister Helen Clark said she was aware today's raids were to go ahead.
"We were briefed last week that the police intended to undertake these arrests today."
She would not comment on whether she was told of any threat against her or any other politicians. She had not noticed any increase to her personal security. Police Minister Annette King was briefing other parties today.
"Senior ministers have been briefed as a courtesy but this is a police decision to proceed on the basis of information they have."
Police felt there was enough risk to act.
"That's the assessment of the police and that is why they have moved."
Asked if she was surprised when police told her about the group Miss Clark said; "yes and no, surprised at the scale and numbers of people involved".
The idea of military style camps was "odd to say the least, police obviously believe there was enough information to move on".
Bay of Plenty arrests
Several people were arrested this morning in the remote Bay of Plenty settlement of Ruatoki.
Sources told nzherald.co.nz that a paramilitary radical group had been attempting to recruit and train people in the area.
One source said key leaders from around the Ureweras had been approached to join the group, which calls itself the Freedom Fighters.
The source said the training took place in the remote mountain areas, with participants wearing balaclavas and using military methods.
Herald reporter Juliet Rowan was at Taneatua, about 9kms from Ruatoki and said there was a "massive" police presence.
A roadblock which was earlier in place at Taneatua has now been moved back towards Ruatoki by about 2kms.
Only police vehicles are being allowed through, though a number of cars heading away from Ruatoki have been allowed out.
Those in vehicles coming through the roadblock told Ms Rowan police had used mirrors to search their cars in Ruatoki.
Taneatua resident Ameria Nuku told Newstalk ZB people were terrified at the mixed messages they were receiving about a possible terrorist group in the area.
She said police were not telling residents anything, which was adding to their worry.
Christchurch raid
Police spokeswoman Kay Calder said one search warrant was executed in Christchurch this morning in connection with the nationwide anti-terrorism raids but no arrests were made.
Christchurch-based environmental lobbyist and anti-mining group Save Happy Valley Coalition appears to have been targeted in this morning's raids.
Coalition spokeswoman Frances Mountier said police arrived at her Christchurch house this morning without a search warrant.
"The police visited our house, but they didn't have a search warrant so we sent them away again," she said.
Ms Mountier said the police didn't explain why they called at her house and she was unaware of any other coalition members being targeted in the raids today.
The police hadn't returned with a warrant after being shown the door.
"None of us are making any comment at the moment. We don't have any information about what's going on," she said.
Wellington anarchist's home raided
Those who appeared in Wellington District Court had a large contingent of supporters, who filled the public gallery for their appearance.
Friends of the four accused expressed shock and disbelief, saying they were all pacifists.
An associate of the four accused, Arthur Price, helps run a community house on Abel Smith St which was raided by police this morning.
Mr Price said the house provided a venue for meetings, including those run by peace and environmental groups, a free bike repair shop, and other community projects.
The four arrested have connections with the house, but none of them live there, and no one was arrested during the police raid.
He said the community was in shock over the arrests.
"It's just absolutely ridiculous. I'm almost positive none of them have been involved with anything to do with firearms.
"They're all peace activists," he said.
"There have never been firearms in the house."
Sam Buchanan, who lives at 128 Abel Smith St, said he was mystified about why his home was raided by police.
Police left the scene shortly before 1pm with various bags containing clothes and documents.
Buchanan said he had not been involved in any training camps.
He would not say whether he was involved with Greenpeace or any other environmental group, but the Herald found he is a member of Aotearoa Anarchists and has written a pamphlet entitled Anarchy: The Transmogrification of Everyday Life.
In 2001 he was arrested as anti-globalisation protests flared at the G8 protests in Genoa, Italy and he claimed that he was badly beaten by police.
There is a sign on the door of Buchanan's house which reads: The Mechanical Tempest.
Buchanan said he and other residents ran a free bicycle repair workshop.
The house was used as a venue for numerous classes, including language and dance.
There had never been any firearms at the property but "millions" of people had been associated with this house, Buchanan said.
Buchanan said police told him he could not leave the house and that the warrant for the search was issued under the Terrorism Act.
Police had broken a glass door into the house and Buchanan said he supposed he was expected to replace it.
"It's been a very annoying morning," he said.
Among the others arrested are a member of an anti-capitalist organisation for young people.
Others are film-makers and an artist.
Greenpeace distances itself from raids
Greenpeace New Zealand said it knew nothing about any of the alleged activities which had caused the police raids.
"These raids have nothing to do with Greenpeace and we have not been contacted by police in relation to them," campaign director Carmen Gravatt said in a statement.
"Greenpeace is an organisation with a long and proud history of non-violence. This is still the most important premise underlying the work we do."
New Zealand First said the unearthing of suspected terrorist groups was "a disturbing and frightening evolution" in the history of criminal gangs.
"Police must be congratulated for their actions in heading off what appears to be a major threat to public safety," said the party's law and order spokesman Ron Mark.
"I am particularly concerned, however, as there is a strong smell of involvement by our established criminal gangs in today's events.
"There are a number of factors that would indicate that the groups raided today will have such links."
Mr Mark, who has in the past called for gangs to be outlawed, said they were well known black market suppliers of restricted weapons.
The Terrorism Suppression Act 2002
* the law makes it a criminal offence to take part in, finance or recruit for a terrorist organisation or terrorist act;
* planning a terrorist act, or making a "credible threat", is also illegal even if it is not carried out;
* unlike other countries the law does not give police additional powers of arrest or detainment;
* the Attorney-General must give the green light to any prosecutions under the Act, but Michael Cullen has delegated this responsibility to Solicitor-General David Collins;
* under the Act groups can be listed as a designated terrorist entity, but so far no local groups have been designated. Those that have been listed are United Nations designated groups.
- NZPA, NEWSTALK ZB, NZ HERALD STAFF
