Three people have been arrested following a coordinated opium sting operation involving a fruit and vegetable shop in south Auckland.
Counties Manukau Police's Organised Crime Unit conducted several search warrants in Papatoetoe, Manurewa and Manukau on Wednesday morning, targeting the importation and sale of opium.
Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Hayward told Newshub searches were carried out at both residential and commercial premises, resulting in the seizure of "a significant quantity of opium-based drugs".
Newshub was alerted to the operation after a witness described seeing detectives storming a fruit and vegetable shop in Papatoetoe just after 9am.
The witness claimed a man was removed from a Range Rover and taken inside the store for questioning by officers. Police had blocked members of the public entering the store, they said.
Det Snr Sgt Hayward says two men and a woman will appear in the Manukau District Court this week facing charges relating to the importation and sale of class B controlled drugs.
The latest drug bust comes just weeks after police terminated a significant drug and organised crime network in the North Island, leading to the arrests of 20 people.
Police said in August that 163 officers had seized residential properties, vehicles, firearms, cash, and cannabis after search warrants were executed in Taupō, Hamilton, and Rotorua after six months of dedicated investigation.
Another 29 people - including Mongrel Mob senior leadership - were arrested in July following Operation Kingpin, a three-month investigation that saw a drug-dealing network apprehended in Waikato.
Police urge anyone with more information regarding unlawful firearms or alleged drug offending in the community to contact their local station on 105. They can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
