Police seize, cash, cars, and methamphetamine in raids

Tuesday, 23 October 2018

The Taranaki office of Fowler Homes, at the intersection of State Highway Three and Corbett Rd, Bell Block, was cordoned off with police tape overnight Monday and a scene guard was in place.

Police have seized drugs, cash, vehicles, arrested three people and cordoned off a building in a series of raids around Taranaki.

The region's organised crime group swooped on multiple addresses on Monday afternoon in a string of coordinated busts targeting the sale of the class A drug methamphetamine..

Detective Senior Sergeant Brent Matuku said further investigations and searches took place on Tuesday with the assistance of the asset recovery unit from police national head quarters in Wellington.

A number of vehicles were seized and the Taranaki office of Fowler Homes, at the intersection of State Highway Three and Corbett Rd, Bell Block, was cordoned off with police tape overnight and a scene guard was in place.

Police inquiries are ongoing at this stage.

The office was raided as part of a string of busts around North Taranaki.

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A house in Fitzroy was also raided.

Police at Fowler Homes' building, north of New Plymouth, on Tuesday.

Police discovered 11 grams of methamphetamine and an envelope containing a large quantity of cash in the raids.

Matuku said a 42-year-old New Plymouth man had been arrested and charged with supplying methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine for supply and possession of methamphetamine utensils and had consented to a remand in custody to appear in the New Plymouth District Court on Thursday.

A 45-year-old Waitara man had also been arrested along with a 32-year-old Opunake woman and both had been charged with possession of methamphetamine.

'We've recovered a significant amount of methamphetamine and cash and have seized a number of vehicles for further investigation,' Matuku said.

'Inquiries are ongoing at this stage.'

Meanwhile, Kevin Ronald Bishell, 37, of Waitara, who is accused of killing a teenager in a head-on crash on Big Jims Hill on August 28, was driving a Fowlers Homes ute at the time.

Bishell has pleaded not guilty to charges of dangerous driving causing death, possession of cannabis, possession of utensils to smoke methamphetamine, refusing to give a blood sample and has been remanded in custody to reappear on November 22 for a case review hearing.

The company's managing director Lauchlan MacMillan said Bishell was not an employee but had borrowed the vehicle and was authorised to use it to shift a couch.

There was no answer at the Fowler Homes Taranaki office on Tuesday morning and MacMillan's cellphone went straight to answer phone.

The company is a member of the New Zealand Registered Master Builders Association but the organisation did not return telephone calls seeking comment about the situation.

Fowler Homes NZ principal Tony Hill was also contacted for comment about the closure of the Taranaki office but did not respond to requests.

Matuku said the arrests followed an investigation into the sale and supply of methamphetamine in the Taranaki area.

'Taranaki Police are committed to protecting our community from the serious harm caused by organised crime and methamphetamine,' he said.

Anyone with information about the sale and supply of illegal substances in the community is urged to contact their local Police station, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.