Police make $17m drug bust

The meth that was seized from the Mercedes car last month. Photo / NZ Police

Thirty-eight Head Hunters gang members are facing methamphetamine-related charges after a major drug bust culminating in 13 arrests in raids in Whangarei this morning.

Millions of dollars worth of drugs, guns and cash were seized by police during the raids, which were part of a covert operation targeting members of the Head Hunters gang.

Thirteen members or associates of the motorcycle gang were arrested after detectives from the Organised and Financial Crime Agency of New Zealand executed a number of search warrants this morning.

Police seized over $4 million in cash, methamphetamine and precursors with an estimated street value of $4 million, and assets worth $9.1 million during this morning's operation.

Two clandestine labs were discovered and 22 firearms were also confiscated.

Detective Inspector Bruce Good said among those arrested in Whangarei this morning were two teenage boys were allegedly caught with an estimated $2.5 million worth of methamphetamine in a luxury Mercedes Benz car on an Auckland motorway in November.

"Leading up to our termination in Whangarei this morning we had discovered a large scale methamphetamine manufacturing operation based in a rural location close to Whangarei.

"We believe this operation was coordinated by and for the Head Hunters outlaw motorcycle group."

Detective Inspector Kevin Burke said police intelligence indicated the operation had the capacity to produce $3 million worth of methamphetamine a week.

"During these operations, search warrants were executed in seven of the 12 police districts, which illustrates the scope of this organised criminal network," Mr Burke said.

Mr Good said the Whangarei operation that was shut down this morning may have been one of the clandestine labs used by the Head Hunters to supply the South Island methamphetamine market.

"When you have cooks producing $3 million worth of methamphetamine in three days you start to see the size of the problem."

Mr Good said while the Head Hunters were the target of operations this year, there were several other organised criminal groups running similar methamphetamine operations.

"They are well organised, well resourced and seemingly highly profitable.

"Police will continue to work hard to reduce the harm that methamphetamine causes in our community by targeting the organised criminal groups that manufacture and supply this destructive drug."