When a driver was caught speeding in a 100kph zone near Warrington, the local staff member on patrol conducted a safe stop on the side of the road.
As they were issuing the infringement notice for speeding, a pungent aroma from the vehicle was unmistakable. As a result, the Search and Surveillance Act was invoked and the vehicle was searched.
Seven grams of strong-smelling cannabis were immediately found, as were 200g of MDMA, tabs of LSD and about 150g of ketamine. Altogether, the illicit substances found added up to an estimated value of $70,000.
It is alleged the 22-year-old male driver was on his way south to Dunedin for Orientation Week celebrations to sell his illegal products. He is facing a raft of charges related to the drugs in his possession for supply.
Oamaru Sergeant Antony Woodbridge is pleased with the result and says it shows how a focus on core policing always works to keep the community safe.
“This was not just a great piece of road policing,” he says, “but a good example of our staff taking initiative and action to follow their nose - quite literally, in this case.
“The result is a lot of potential harm caused by drugs removed from our communities.”