Police have seized $20,000 worth of methamphetamine and $42,000 in cash after search warrants were carried out in Invercargill and Dunedin.
Some of the items seized by police during search warrants in Invercargill and Dunedin. Photo: Supplied / NZ Police
The warrants were carried out this week with four vehicles and a firearm also seized.
Detective Senior Sergeant Rob Hanna said the search warrants followed the arrest of four people in Waihola after the occupants of an alleged stolen car left a crash scene earlier this week.
They were later located with help from the Armed Offenders Squad.
Two further arrests were made yesterday as a result of the search warrants.
Four men aged 25, 29, 32 and 34 were charged with a range of offences including selling methamphetamine, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawfully taking a motor vehicle and different driving offences.
They appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday.
A 25-year-old woman has been charged with supplying methamphetamine and will appear in Dunedin District Court today.
A 47-year-old woman will appear in Invercargill District Court next week, charged with being party to the sale of methamphetamine.
"Police believe that members of this group have strong links to several gangs both in the Southern region and Christchurch," Hanna said.
"Methamphetamine continues to cause extreme harm in the community and police will continue to focus and target those selling and pushing this harm in order to hold those offenders accountable.
"Stopping its distribution will reduce harm not only to those that have already been exposed to the harmful effects of this destructive drug, but those who may never have been exposed to it before.
"We want to send a clear message that such criminal activity won't be tolerated."
The operation is ongoing.