Police ended a two-year undercover operation, codenamed Operation Lime, with search warrants on 35 businesses and homes in every police district on 27 April 2010.[1] The targets were businesses and people selling equipment for growing cannabis, including all 16 branches and the distribution centre of the Switched on Gardener chain.[1] Undercover officers had bought equipment over the counter, been advised on growing cannabis, and even bought cannabis clones and other drugs from the sellers.[1]
Police said more than 250 people faced more than 700 charges, including cultivation and taking part in an organised criminal group, and that more than 100 commercial growing operations linked to the businesses were dismantled, with 19 more found that day.[1][2] Search teams also seized methamphetamine, LSD, ecstasy and firearms at some premises.[1] Auction site TradeMe also banned the trading of equipment used to cultivate cannabis the same day.[2]
District results
In Wellington, 45 staff executed 19 warrants; about 23 people faced more than 60 charges, and officers seized 288 plants, 48 pounds of dried cannabis and 632 LSD tabs, restraining four houses and $200,000 alongside $200,000 of drugs.[3] In Christchurch, 60 staff searched three businesses and six homes, arresting eleven people and seizing about 160 plants and seedlings, more than thirty ounces of dried cannabis, business records, a pistol, two rifles and a shotgun.[4] In Waikato, searches in Hamilton, Whatawhata and Ngaruawahia recovered 450 plants, dried cannabis and firearms with five arrests, while six further addresses yielded more than 410 plants plus hydroponics gear, cannabis oil and over $13,000 cash.[5] Deputy Commissioner Rob Pope said the operation would break the cornerstone of the illicit cultivation industry.[1]
