1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: So it looks like the police are into the cannabis fight. 2 00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: Sting in July and August saw ten tons destroyed, one 3 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:07,440 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty grow houses raided across Auckland Auckland alone, 4 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: So the hall they think about fifty eight million. Callum 5 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: McNeil's the police detective and spectrum charge of this and he's. 6 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 2: With us morning more. 7 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:17,760 Speaker 1: Where are we at with cannabis versus any other drug 8 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:20,599 Speaker 1: use in terms of supply and use in this country? 9 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 1: And how big a deal is this bust? 10 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 2: Look, cannabis, you know, like a lot of drugs, is 11 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:33,479 Speaker 2: obviously illegal. Currently, our main concern around cannabis is just 12 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 2: the amount that has been grown by these transnational organized 13 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:41,239 Speaker 2: crime groups. You know that money that is made from 14 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 2: growing cannabis has gone towards other criminal activities forward money 15 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:52,600 Speaker 2: laundering and other criminal offenses. So it is a concern 16 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 2: for us. And as a result of sort of sustained 17 00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 2: intelligence gathering and compete community reporting rise and these cannabis 18 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 2: grow houses into organized crime recently. 19 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 1: Put it into context. One hundred and twenty houses to 20 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 1: me sounds like a lot of houses. Is this like 21 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 1: a massive bust? 22 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:15,480 Speaker 2: It is in relation to cultivation of cannabis. It's probably 23 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 2: one of the largest ones we've done in the past. 24 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 2: Like I say, it just indicates just how many there 25 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:25,399 Speaker 2: are out there, and I have no doubt you know, 26 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 2: they are back up and running now and new houses, 27 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 2: and it's just something we have to keep on top of. 28 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 1: Are they all linked once you start, once you start ferreting, 29 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:36,479 Speaker 1: are they all essentially linked or these all individuals doing 30 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:37,000 Speaker 1: their own thing. 31 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 2: There is a lot of entrepreneurs out there that will 32 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 2: have four to five houses each. We're not seeing. You know. 33 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 2: It's not like your traditional biking structure where you've got 34 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 2: a president and then a sergeant of arms and you've 35 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 2: got a whole lot of people under you. They are 36 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 2: quite independent in the way they operate. 37 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 1: It must be demand, dribbon, I mean everyone must be 38 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: on cannabis. I mean you can't have one hundred and 39 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: twenty houses in Auckland alone without somebody somewhere buying a 40 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:09,560 Speaker 1: shed load of this stuff and smoking it. 41 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely indicates that there is a you know, it's 42 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:16,079 Speaker 2: that whole supply and demand. There's obviously the demand for it, 43 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 2: so there'll always be that supply and people growing it. 44 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:22,359 Speaker 1: What are the consequences here. I mean, are these people 45 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 1: taken out of the game now because they'll hit the 46 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 1: justice system and be banged up, or are they back 47 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 1: at it in a couple of weeks time. 48 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 2: With these particular individuals, the majority were Vietnamese. A large 49 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:39,240 Speaker 2: amount of the third arrests that we made just during 50 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 2: this operation they were already illegally in New Zealand and 51 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 2: we're liable for the cautions, so they have been deported. 52 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:52,359 Speaker 2: We have a few gangs through the court system. It's 53 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:54,520 Speaker 2: one of those things where you know, if we do 54 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:56,679 Speaker 2: arrest someone, we put them before the court, they will 55 00:02:56,680 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 2: get bail. It's not a generally not a prisonable offense. 56 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 2: And we're finding these people back in these cowhouses, so 57 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 2: you know, we're working with our partners really close to 58 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 2: immigration in THEE and where they are liable to be 59 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 2: deported than we are deporting them. 60 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,240 Speaker 1: Good. Well, then keep the good work up. Kellum McNeil 61 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 1: out of the police for us this morning. 62 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 2: For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 63 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 2: news talks that'd be from six am weekdays, or follow 64 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.