He advised people not to take illicit drugs and said people may think they are taking one drug, only for it to be a totally different substance.
Police said they were focusing on “minimising the harm of MDMA and cocaine across its community and through its hospitality industry”.
“Taupō police are committed to supporting the community to be an event destination, with a thriving town centre and nightlife, free from those who target our visitors and young people by attempting to make a quick profit selling restricted drugs.”
This involves raising awareness about the issue in the town, encouraging and supporting those addicted to the drugs to seek help, appealing for the community to report and share information about drug suppliers, and through investigation and prosecution.
Anyone experiencing concerning or unexpected effects after taking something can anonymously report it to High Alert, New Zealand’s drug early warning system, at highalert.org.nz, to help keep others safe.