Armed police converge on two suburbs
More than 50 police, including members of two armed offenders squads, swarmed into two Tauranga neighbourhoods as a part of a major crackdown on suspected P-labs yesterday.
The raids in Welcome Bay and Arataki began early yesterday afternoon and saw Selwyn Ridge Primary School going into lock down and three people being arrested.
But police are not discounting more arrests.
Armed police raided a house in James Cook Drive in Welcome Bay about 1.30pm and two houses in Gloucester Rd and Mahina Place in Arataki.
Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner, head of Tauranga CIB, said more than 50 police were involved in the operation, including approximately 30 Tauranga-based detectives and constables, and members of Tauranga's and Rotorua's armed offenders squads.
As a result of the raids a woman and two men in their 20s were arrested and charged with a variety of offences, including possession of methamphetamine, possession of equipment for the manufacture of P, and possession of cannabis related instruments, he said.
All three are due to appear in Tauranga District Court today.
Mr Turner said all three properties searched remained under scene guard last night and would undergo forensic examination by the Auckland-based clandestine drug laboratory team and ESR scientists today.
He said cordons around the addresses were in place and occupants of the houses would not be able to return to their homes until the examinations were fully completed.
Persons living at the addresses and police personnel were put through the fire service's decontamination shower yesterday, he said.
He said it was too early to comment what police found at the addresses.
Read the full story, included what the neighbours have to say, in Thursday's Bay of Plenty Times.
