Stunned Christchurch Neighbor Observes Police Raid Next Door

A neighbor of a Christchurch property that was raided today in a drug bust said he “had no idea” that cannabis was being grown next door.

Police confirmed that they had raided five houses so far to uncover cannabis operations as part of a large-scale investigation in Christchurch.

The campaign against organized crime included search warrants at at least one house on Kellys Road in Mairehau, around 11:30 am.

Detective Sergeant Joel Syme said large amounts of cash and other assets had been seized, and that several important cannabis crops had been found.

He said a series of search warrants were being executed across the city in a crackdown on organized crime.

The public can expect to see a police presence for the rest of the day as the operation continues, he said.

A neighbor of one of the registered properties said he noticed several police vehicles on his street around 8 a.m., which he said was “unusual” for the area.

He had no idea what was going on until police began to remove what looked like cannabis growing equipment from the house, including vents and a large number of fertilizer containers.

He had no idea that a drug operation was taking place across the street.
“Honestly, I had no idea,” he said.

“During the lockdown, if I saw my neighbor, waved and waved … you just have no idea what’s going on across the street.”

The cannabis raids came when New Zealanders were asked to vote whether they support the legalization of recreational cannabis.

The proposed bill would restrict the supply of cannabis, including how much a person can buy, how old they must be, where they can buy it, and how much they can grow themselves.