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More people have been arrested in relation to a suspected drug ring in Te Puke.
A total of eight people appeared in the Tauranga District Court on Tuesday where seven of the eight were released on bail and one was remanded in custody.
Police recovered 17kg of cannabis in the raids. Photo: File.
Hemiona William Ririnui, 29, from Te Puke, and Luke Thomas Wilson, 30, from Maketu, appeared in court facing a range of drug charges including possession of cannabis for supply, participation in an organised criminal group and cultivating cannabis.
Wilson’s lawyer Tony Balme indicated his client is likely to go to trial and asked for his case to be dealt with on August 21.
Judge Robert Wolff remanded Wilson on bail until that date.
Ririrnui was remanded in custody until September 10.
Their co-accused Te Puke residents Wharemoeroa Whare, 18, Nikki Merekeeti Whare, 27, Tiri Kapene, 29, Justin Ngahina Walters, 29, Noel Eugene Walters, 29, and Morehu Selwyn, 18, from Paeroa, also appeared in court and were further remanded on bail until September 10.
Western Bay of Plenty Police arrested the alleged gang associates following a four month investigation into the commercial cultivation of cannabis across the Bay of Plenty and South Waikato.
Western Bay of Plenty CIB’s Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner says several warrants were executed across the Te Puke and Maketu Districts on May 30.
Two-sawn off shotguns, ammunition, explosives and stolen electronic equipment were found in the raids, along with 17 kilograms of cannabis.
Ririrnui was remanded in custody until September 10, where he was at the time of the offending, says Judge Robert Wolff.
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Posted on 08-08-2012 16:19 | By the kurgan
the war on drugs is a total failure. The cannabis plant has hundreds of very beneficial uses to mankind and being a plant it can’t be patented by industry. The sheeple have been deceived by the government and pharmaceutical industries through their disinformation campaign via the govt/corporate controlled media. A free thinking adult should have the right to grow and consume whatever he or she bloody well likes from Mother Natures vast array of beneficial herbs and plants, without some interfering busy-body getting in their way screaming hysterically that they know how bad it is and whats best for YOU. If its a crime, where’s the victims? Stop arresting peaceful herb growers and go after the real criminals, you know, the thieves, rapists, murderers and the scumbag stock market investment bankers.