MPs searched for drugs by police dog

A sniffer dog and his handler. Photo / File

MPs found themselves searched for drugs by an eager police dog at Parliament this morning.

Police introduced one of their drug-seeking dogs, Jay, to the Law and Order Committee as part of a presentation on police spending in Budget 2012.

Jay's minder hid a small amount of pure methamphetamine, or P, under a chair in the select committee room.

Once brought into the committee room, Jay appeared to linger around Green MP David Clendon and NZ First MP Richard Prosser - to their amusement - before sniffing out the hidden drug.

Police Minister Anne Tolley said the dogs were one of police's most valuable tools in drug detection, and referred to last week's interception of 311 grams of methamphetamine in Counties Manukau.

Deputy Commissioner of operations Mike Bush said the high price of drugs on New Zealand streets meant the country was a target for international gangs.

"The cost of drugs like this in New Zealand is probably higher than anywhere else in the western world."

Mr Bush showed MPs a suitcase of contraband, pointing out that a 18 gram bag of crystal methamphetamine fetched around $15,000 on the street.

"If you were sourcing it from some of the Persian countries, from Iran for example, it is $7 a gram. Over here, it might be $700 ... it might be $1000."

MPs heard that one of the best ways to stamp out methamphetamine use was the seizure of money and assets from organised crime groups.

Since the introduction of the Criminal Proceeds Recovery Act in 2009, police had handed over $13.2 million in illegally-obtained assets to the Crown, and had another $86m restrained.