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Cannabis customers, many wearing school uniform, at a Rotorua drug supermarket had a surprise in store. A posse of police was waiting.
Once inside the Koutu Rd house the would-be buyers were handcuffed before being rounded up and corralled on the property's back lawn and carted off by the paddywagon-load.
In just over an hour on Friday 19 arrived at the house, where they were greeted at the door by a plainclothes police officer who directed them inside.
Detectives nabbed so many customers they nearly ran out of handcuffs, Detective Sergeant Dennis Murphy, of Rotorua CIB, said.
The arrests came after a team of detectives searched the house for drugs.
It soon became obvious it was a "drug supermarket" as carloads of people, many in school uniform, arrived to buy a "tinnie or two", Murphy said.
Three wagon-loads of cannabis shoppers were taken to the Rotorua police station during the operation.
"Their cars were all backed up in the drive-way," Mr Murphy said.
"We called it Operation Bermuda [after the Bermuda Triangle] because all the cars still had
the motors running but there were no people in them."
Police intelligence indicated the steady stream of people arriving at the house was normal for any weekday.
The biggest concern was many of the buyers were school-age children, most of whom were still wearing their uniforms, Mr Murphy said.
More than 30 "tinnies" of cannabis were found at the house.
The operation was conducted after complaints to police by neighbours concerned about the number and type of people who were constantly arriving at the house, Mr Murphy said.
"They were feeling intimidated and they believed the activity of this house has had a serious impact on their quality of life."
A total of 23 arrests were made, including for attempting to buy cannabis. One person was arrested and charged with obstructing police after allegedly trying to warn people arriving at the house about the police operation.
Two men and one woman were charged with possessing cannabis for supply. One of those men was also charged with allowing the house to be used to sell cannabis. - NZPA
