Eight people with links to the Head Hunters Motorcycle gang have been arrested after a shipment of drugs smuggled into the country was intercepted by police and Customs.
Acitfed seized in Auckland as part of Operation Boeing in late 2016. Photo: Supplied / NZ Police
Two people were arrested last week and a further six were arrested when five addresses in Auckland were raided this morning.
All eight were due to appear in the Auckland District Court today.
Today's raids were carried out in Mount Eden, Pakuranga Heights, Mangere East, One Tree Hill and Papakura, and further arrests were a possibility, police said.
Operation Boeing, launched in 2016, focused on a patched member of the gang's West Chapter who was accused of helping import Actified from Fiji.
Actifed contains pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in the manufacture of the methamphetamine, or P.
The drugs were allegedly smuggled into the country on board a container vessel by a member of the crew, police said.
Detective Inspector Paul Newman of the National Organised Crime Group said police were not surprised to see the Head Hunters gang linked to this type of offending.
"The Head Hunters have absolutely no care or regard for the harm they inflict on families and whanau by manufacturing and supplying methamphetamine.
"They continue to take advantage of the addictiveness of this drug in order to profit from it."
Acitfed seized in Auckland as part of Operation Boeing. Photo: Supplied / NZ Police
Arrests and charges following today's raids:
- A 62-year-old man charged with two counts of money laundering and participating in an organised criminal group
- A 35-year-old man will be charged with manufacturing methamphetamine, supplying methamphetamine, conspiracy to supply methamphetamine and participating in an organised criminal group
- A 26-year-old woman will be charged with conspiracy to supply methamphetamine and participating in an organised criminal group
- A 39-year-old man will be charged with supplying methamphetamine and participating in an organised criminal group
- A 41-year-old woman charged with supplying methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine for supply, offering to supply methamphetamine and participating in an organised criminal group
- A 37-year-old man will be charged with manufacturing methamphetamine, supplying methamphetamine, possession of pseudoephedrine for supply and participating in an organised criminal group.
- A 40-year-old man charged with importing pseudoephedrine and possession of pseudoephedrine for supply
- A 28-year-old man charged with importing pseudoephedrine and possession of pseudoephedrine for supply
