Summarised by Centrist
Despite record-breaking drug busts, meth has never been cheaper or more available, thanks to a flood of supply from Mexican cartels and Asian crime syndicates.
October 2024 set a new record of 39.2kg of meth consumed per week—nearly double the previous high, according to police wastewater data.
“The world is awash with drugs,” said Detective Inspector Tim Chao, who oversees the National Drug Intelligence Bureau, but not in Ōpōtiki.
Yet in Ōpōtiki, a small town in the eastern Bay of Plenty, meth use plummeted by 50% after police dismantled a Mongrel Mob drug ring in Operation Highwater. Wastewater data showed weekly consumption fell from 119g to 54g over three months, a stark contrast to the nationwide trend.
Police Inspector Jock O’Keefe credited the success to targeted gang arrests combined with community support efforts. “In a small location, if you take out 20 of their key [gang] members… you are going to see an impact,” he said.
Read more over at The NZ Herald (paywalled)
Image: WikiLinuz
