The Security Intelligence Service (SIS) says it had 20 domestic interception warrants in force in the year ending June 2007.
The SIS said in its annual report that 12 of the 20 domestic warrants had been issued in the 2006/2007 year.
The other eight had been issued in
the previous year but remained in force for at least part of the year in question.
The average length of the warrant was 142 days and involved listening devices and copying documents.
Last October at least 17 people including Maori, environmental and peace activists from Auckland to Christchurch were arrested on weapons charges during a nationwide police anti-terrorism operation.
The raids have caused a divisive debate with some saying they were racist and that police were heavy handed.
SIS director Dr Warren Tucker said at the time the SIS has no powers to enforce security, such as arrest or detention, and that the raids were a matter for police.
It is possible the SIS played a role in the investigation before the raids as its functions, as spelt out in law, are to obtain, correlate and evaluate intelligence relevant to security.
The annual report said the SIS had monitored those with links to terrorist organisation and investigated the "process of radicalisation".
The Combined Threat Assessment Group, which includes the SIS, police and other agencies, produced 212 reports on a variety of threat related issues and continued to "monitor the domestic and international threat environments".
The report said foreign interception warrants were in force during the year, but gives no detail.
No removal warrants were in force in 2006/2007.
- NZPA
