A routine police checkpoint resulted in the seizure of two chilly bins worth of cannabis in Southland last week.
Officers were checking for drink driving, seatbelts, mobile phone use and other traffic offending on State Highway 94 near Lumsden on Friday when they came across the stash, they revealed today.
Officers stopped a vehicle which was travelling from Gore towards Te Anau when they caught a whiff of cannabis coming from the vehicle, police said.
On inspecting the vehicle, they found two large chilly bins on the back seat with 1kg of cannabis and over $500 in cash inside, they reported.
The 29-year-old man driving the car told police he had purchased the cannabis in Gore, according to police.
Police in Te Anau then seized more cannabis, as well as over $2000 in cash and drug dealing equipment from the man’s home in Te Anau, they said.
Police also searched the property of a Gore man alleged to be responsible for the sale of the drugs.
Officers said they found 3kgs of cannabis, several plants and $10,000 in cash at the 45-year-old’s home.
The man from Gore was arrested and will appear in the Gore District Court, while the 29-year-old from Te Anau, also arrested, will appear in the Invercargill District Court at a later date.
They will appear on drugs charges.
Sergeant Tod Hollebon says he’s pleased with the officers’ “excellent teamwork”.
“This has resulted in police taking a substantial amount of cannabis off the street, and uncovering a significant growing operation,” he said.
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