Operation Emerald: 75-year-old arrested after 250 cannabis plants seized near Whanganui River

Police have arrested a 75-year-old man and seized 250 cannabis plants after a search warrant at a site near the Whanganui River.

The land had previously been the subject of an application to grow hemp.

The plot, identified as part of Operation Emerald which targets large-scale drug cultivation, was in an isolated area inland of Raetihi, near the Whanganui River and not accessible by road.

Detective Inspector Paul Baskett, Central District field crime manager, said the authority to grow hemp had expired in 2021.

“The team were able to establish good cause to suspect that cannabis was being grown up there in large tunnel houses,” Baskett said.

The Central District Organised Crime Unit applied for a search warrant and liaised with the Air Force to be flown in alongside officers on March 26.

A shed on the property also contained a large quantity of dried cannabis.

A 75-year-old man has been summonsed for cannabis cultivation. The District Asset Recovery Unit also supported the warrant, and the investigation is ongoing.

Operation Emerald last year prevented $126.8 million in social harm to communities and prevented gangs and organised crime from earning $128 million.

The 2022/23 operation resulted in 35,097 plants being seized or destroyed, along with 93.452kg of cannabis head and plant material, with a combined street value of $128m.