Police have uncovered 14 large-scale cannabis grow houses linked to Vietnamese nationals across Waikato in recent months, seizing tonnes of cannabis and leading to multiple arrests.
The Waikato Organised Crime Squad executed a number of search warrants across the district, finding between 200-600 cannabis plants at each of the 14 properties.
Detective Senior Sergeant Nigel Keall said up to 750kg of cannabis was located and seized at one property alone.
“In addition, these cannabis operations are diverting power, stealing up to an estimated $10,000 a month to run the grow premises,” he added.
“What we are seeing is rented residential and commercial properties that have been modified and set up as commercial grow operations with ventilation systems to mask the smell and water reticulation.”
Five Vietnamese nationals were arrested when police executed a search warrant at a property on August 19, and were facing charges of cultivating cannabis for supply.
Three more people were arrested at the same address the following day.
At a rented industrial property in Frankton, Keall said police uncovered a bespoke indoor commercial grow operation with multiple grow rooms, water systems and diverted electricity.
A fake wall had also been erected to disguise the grow rooms from the road. Police located 580 cannabis plants of varying ages inside.
Keall said the landlords and the owners of these properties were unaware of the offending and were “shocked by what was located”.
“The community has been valuable in assisting us with inquiries and we encourage anyone who may have seen unusual activity, equipment or aromas of cannabis, to please let us know,” he said.
Police were now urging landlords and property managers to look out for warning signs, including blacked-out or permanently covered windows, extractor fans, ventilation systems or unauthorised structural changes to the exterior of the property.
Tenants offering to pay rent in cash or offering to pay more to avoid inspections should also be considered a red flag, police said.
Police were working with Immigration New Zealand in relation to those who had been charged.
The alleged kingpin of the Vietnamese group was among those arrested after police carried out 19 raids across Auckland. (Source: Supplied)
The Waikato discovery comes after police shut down an alleged Vietnamese cannabis syndicate in Auckland earlier this month, arresting 12 people.
Officers executed 19 raids in Flat Bush, Howick, Sylvia Park, Wiri, and Massey as part of the operation, which was described as “one of the largest syndicates”.
The alleged kingpin, a 36-year-old Flat Bush man, was among those arrested.
During the raids, officers seized around $1.25 million worth of cannabis cultivation equipment and $80,000 in cash.
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