The men will appear at Waitākere District Court on Thursday. Photo: RNZ / Finn Blackwell
Two men have been arrested after the Defence Force blew up a stick of gelignite on Wednesday following a police raid on a West Auckland property.
Officers descended on Red Hills Road, Massey, on Wednesday morning and did not leave the scene until 1.30pm.
A warrant had been executed by Operation Cobalt and Waitemata District staff, assisted by Specialist Tactical and Search Teams at an address associated to a senior patched member of the Head Hunters, Detective Inspector Lloyd Schmid confirmed on Wednesday night.
"At the Red Hills Road address, police located several items of interest, including a stick of gelignite, ammunition, a quantity of cannabis, and a highly sophisticated piece of equipment which appears to be used to copy or manufacture forged security cards or similar," he said.
"As a safety precaution the search was paused for a brief period of time so that the New Zealand Defence Force, Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team who were called to the scene could safely dispose of the gelignite.
"We are aware residents will have heard the sound of the item being disposed of by the EOD team. This action was to ensure the safety of our staff at the scene, and members of the wider community."
Residents were not required to be evacuated during the incident.
Schmid said the two men had been charged with possession of an explosive and further drugs charges.
The 61-year-old man, who police describe as a senior patched member of the Head Hunters, and a 48-year-old man associated to the same gang are due to appear at Waitākere District Court on Thursday.
Police have not ruled out further arrests or charges as investigations continue.