Cannabis worth an estimated $250,000 seized

Cannabis with a street value of an estimated $250,000 has been seized by police in Te Kaha.

Whakatane Detective Sergeant Darren Thomas said the cannabis was found last week in a red wheelie bin sitting in the middle of a maize field near Te Kaha on the East Coast.

"The cannabis was a mixture of budded up head material and leaf material and it weighed 30kg," Mr Thomas said. "Some had already been bagged up into vacuum-sealed plastic ounce bags as part of a well organised commercial operation."

In addition, a further 70 fully-grown and budded plants were located growing nearby.

Two firearms were also found, a sawn-off .303 calibre shotgun and a .22 calibre pistol.

"Enquiries are continuing as to who is responsible for this cannabis but I want the community to know police will continue to disrupt commercial level drug dealers in the Eastern Bay of Plenty at every opportunity to prevent the inevitable social harm, misery and destruction caused by this criminal behaviour," Mr Thomas said.