Asia-Pacific News

Oct 28, 2009, 3:20 GMT

New Zealand cracks down on motorcycle gang drug ring

Wellington - At least 14 members of New Zealand's Tribesmen motorcycle gang were arrested Wednesday in a major crackdown on the production and sale of methamphetamine, police said. They will face 160 charges following coordinated raids on gang premises in Northland province and Auckland by the newly-established Organised and Financial Crime Agency, which was set up to counter the rapidly growing illegal drug industry. Police have identified methamphetamine, known in New Zealand as 'ice' or 'P', as the country's number one drug problem, responsible for a spate of violent crimes and murders. Authorities say the production of methamphetamine has risen in New Zealand at a faster rate than in other countries because it is easy to manufacture in homes and is cheaper than heroin and cocaine. The government is moving to restrict the sale of cold and influenza tablets containing pseudo-ephedrine, the main ingredient in the production of methamphetamine, and set up a new customs anti-drug task force to crack down on illegal imports of the medicines, mainly from China. 'I am determined that we will use the full force of the government's arsenal to fight the problem of P, a seriously addictive drug that is ruining lives,' Prime Minister John Key said this month. 'P hurts not just users and their families but also law-abiding New Zealanders who suffer from the crime it creates,' he said.

And Also

The Decade: Film's 10 Best Music Moments In The Aughts

The Decade: Film's 10 Best Music Moments In The Aughts - Cinema Blend
GASP: Goldstriker creates world's most expensive iPhone - The Tech Herald
Such Great Heights: Did You Know They Were That Tall (or Short)? - PopEater
Chris Rock interview, Sons of Anarchy and Woody Allen shout out for 'Madagascar' star

Your Talkback on this Story

Similar articles

Hive heist stings New Zealand beekeeper
Report: Big rise in fraud by New Zealand managers
Police crack ID forgeries by teenagers looking to buy alcohol
Six arrested in big New Zealand drug bust
Missing New Zealand toddler found dead

Latest Headlines in Asia-Pacific

Older Talkback

Asia-Pacific: Index

: News; Features

Latest Pics

From Sites we Like

Drug-addled teenager rips off his own scrotum. Kid's got ba .... wait, no he doesn't [Scary]
Police baffled by a string of bizarre cattle mutilations in southern Colorado. Local chupacabras fear they'll be blamed [Strange]
Today's Friday Photo Fun from our pals at TSG is a tough one. What rock band once required a certain "themed" magazine in their concert rider? Contest ends at 6pm Eastern [Amusing]

More Not News from Fark

In Monsters and Critics

: Arts; Books; DVD; Gaming; Lifestyle; Movies; Music; News; People; Science & Nature; Sport; TV; Archives
Other Languages and Sites: Deutschland (Monsters and Critics); The Tech Herald; Free Games

Entertainment: Arts; Books; DVD; Gaming; Movies; Music; People; Soundtracks; TV
Media: Celebrity Photos; Movie Pictures; Movie Trailers; Movie Posters; Theatre Stills; Celebrity Video; Music Video
Released this week: Movies - USA; Movies - UK; DVD - USA
Distractions: Online Games; Daily Crossword; Sudoku Classic; Daily Jigsaw

World News: US; UK; Americas; Europe; Middle East; Asia Pacific; South Asia; Africa; Business; Education; Health
Science and Tech: Science and Nature; Technology
Lifestyle: Autos; Fashion; Life; Travel

Corporate

: About; Advertise; Contact; The Team; Vacancies; Privacy; RSS; Site Map; Terms; Webmasters

The Fine Print

© 2003 - 2009 by Monsters and Critics.com, WotR Ltd. All Rights Reserved. All photos are copyright their respective owners and are used under license or with permission. * Note M&C cannot be held responsible for the content on other Web Sites.

Servers supplied by Servint