Source: New Zealand Police (District News)
Please attribute to Detective Inspector Stu Harvey, Field Crime Manager, Southern District:
Police have arrested four men following the execution of an operation targeting the production and wholesale supply of MDMA, ketamine and eutylone.
Dunedin’s Organised Crime team alongside other Dunedin groups yesterday executed a number of search warrants in the Dunedin area.
As a result four men aged 25, 26, 29 and 45 were arrested and face a number of charges relating to the production, possession and supply of class A, B and C drugs.
They are due to appear in Dunedin District Court today.
During the operation Police seized drugs valued at up to $330,000, along with a pistol and approximately $20,000 in cash.
A large amount of the drugs supplied were being sold as MDMA (ecstasy), however some is believed to be eutylone. Eutylone is a stimulant drug in the synthetic cathinone family and is known to be sold and taken as MDMA as it mimics the effects.
This drug has recently been linked to a number of hospital admissions throughout New Zealand.
Purchasing or buying synthetic cathinones (as a pill, capsule or powder) greatly increases the chances of accidental overdose. This is because synthetic cathinones are active in lower doses, for some this can be as low as 10mg which is a tenth of MDMA. If someone takes synthetic cathinones in an MDMA-sized dose, it can have fatal consequences.
It is important to remember that illicit drugs are generally manufactured or imported by people who put profit above all else and do not consider the health and wellbeing of users.
These arrests and the seizure of drugs from this operation will have a significant effect on supply in Dunedin and will reduce harm.
Police will continue to target and prosecute those people who profit off of peddling misery in our communities.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
