‘Speak up’: Discovery of meth lab prompts call from police for help with fight against crime

• Published date: 16 November 2021
• Publication title: Northern Advocate, The (Whangarei, New Zealand)

Investigators were looking for people with arrest warrants when they made the discovery at a rural Mangonui address on Saturday.

Police said the items were part of a disassembled clandestine laboratory used to manufacture methamphetamine.

Officers also recovered a quantity of the drug, a double-barrel shotgun, and stolen vehicle.

Police put a scene guard in place overnight on Saturday for a Clan Lab Response Team to conduct a scene examination on Sunday.

Three men from Mangonui were arrested and charged over the find.

Nikos Malamatenios, 49, was charged with possession of methamphetamine, which carries a maximum penalty of six months imprisonment and $1K fine.

Isaac Peterson, 52, faced one charge of unlawful possession of a firearm. The maximum penalty of which is four years in prison and a $5k fine.

Damian Venn, 43, was charged with receiving stolen property in relation to a utility vehicle valued at $27k, according to court documents. If found guilty he could face seven years imprisonment.

All three will next appear in the Kaitaia District Court on December 3.

Detective Senior Sergeant Kevan Verry, of the Northland Organised Crime Unit, said they hadn’t ruled out the possibility of further arrests or charges as police continued their enquiries.

“We are focused on continually targeting organised crime groups that are influencing our drug dealing scene and this is another example of detecting offending when we hold offenders to account.”

But Verry said communities had a role to play as the target team continued to hone in on crimes committed by gangs, including firearm...