Taupō police have arrested four people for allegedly supplying MDMA.
Taupō and Turangi area response manager Senior Sergeant Andy Livingstone saidpolice searched two addresses on December 1 in relation to the alleged supply of the drug, later charging three men and one woman.
They appeared in the Rotorua District Courton December 2.
Police charged three others with the supply of MDMA in September and Livingstone said Taupō Police expected to make more arrests over the coming months.
“Taupō police see an increase in MDMA use over the summer period and have previously had to respond to medical events relating to the consumption of the drug.”
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.
