Northland gang member allegedly pulls $14,000 of P from undies

A senior Northland gang member has been arrested after allegedly pulling a bag of high-grade P worth almost $14,000 out of his undies and flinging it into bushes after he was stopped by police.

The drama began about 4.40am on Saturday when a security guard alerted police to suspicious activity at Opua Marina.

Constable Meagan Lyle, of Kawakawa police, rushed to Opua, spotted the vehicle and pulled it over. She recognised the driver as a mobster from Moerewa but did not know the young woman in the passenger seat. When the woman became abusive Ms Lyle carried out a background check and found she had a warrant out for her arrest. She was handcuffing the woman when she allegedly saw the Mongrel Mob member reach into his underpants, pull out a bag and fling it into nearby bushes.

It was dark and she was on her own so she called for backup to find the bag. A sniffer dog located a bag of 14g of high-grade, crystalline methamphetamine - or P as it is also known - worth an estimated $14,000. A search of the car uncovered knives and other items of interest.

The pair were jointly charged with possession of methamphetamine for supply and remanded in custody when they appeared in the Kaikohe District Court on Monday. They are due back in court next month.

Sergeant Kevin Milne said the arrests were the result of a team effort by the Kawakawa constable, the Whangarei dog handler and members of the Kerikeri CIB.

"I also need to say thank you to the person who saw something that seemed out of place and rang police. This is how it should work. It's not just Opua that benefits from this team effort. Who knows how far the damage from these drugs could reach," he said.

The woman's arrest on outstanding warrants also showed that calling a police officer names was not a good idea: "If you do, that nice police officer might do a few checks and find that there is a warrant for your arrest."

It is thought the security guard stumbled on a major drug deal.

Security has been stepped up in Opua after a number of vehicles were taken from the marina and surrounding areas in December and January.