Police pleased with failed 'P-bust'

JONATHAN CAMERON/The Taranaki Daily News

DRUG BUST: Stratford police officers Senior Sergeant Darin Haenga, left, and Constable Shaun Darth remove evidence from a Miranda St house after an early morning raid yesterday.

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Armed police raided a Stratford house looking for a methamphetamine lab early yesterday but found only a cannabis growing operation.

"They were everywhere, they had the place surrounded. They didn't want him to escape, put it that way," a neighbour told the Taranaki Daily News.

He was confronted by a man dressed in black and carrying a rifle as he tried to leave his house.

He was ordered back inside and couldn't leave until 9am.

Police blocked off a section of Miranda St about 6am before converging on the house – only 200m from the police station.

Senior Sergeant Darin Haenga said they were acting on a tip-off that the house was being used for drug production.

"The information we had was that there was drug production going on there," Mr Haenga said.

The Armed Offenders Squad were used as a precaution.

"We weren't sure what we were heading into and it's better to be safe than sorry," Mr Haenga said.

While no meth lab was found at the house, police did find six cannabis plants, ranging in size from 150mm to a metre.

"There was an indoor growing operation in one of the rooms."

A 36-year-old man staying at the address has been charged with manufacturing a class B drug cannabis oil, cultivation of cannabis and possession of drug utensils.

Mr Haenga said there was nothing at the house to indicate methamphetamine was being made there but the Stratford Volunteer Fire Brigade was placed on standby at the scene.

"They were on hand just in case we came across something that was in progress," he said.

A surveillance camera was focused on the driveway from a window in the house.

Mr Haenga said an assortment of home-made weapons were removed from the house but no firearms were found.

He was pleased with how the operation went.

"I think it went well."

The neighbour said one of the men staying at the house had been repeatedly threatened.

"There's been a lot of people up that drive threatening to cut his throat."

He said he knew his neighbour quite well and he didn't think he was involved with drugs.

Avinesh Rohit said he got a surprise when he went to drop his wife off at work at 7am and the street was full of police cars. "I thought that there might have been some kind of murder," Mr Rohit said.

Several people arrived at the house while the Taranaki Daily News was outside but left when they saw police cars in the driveway.

Police removed evidence from the house in rubbish bags.

- © Fairfax NZ News