Police arrest 71-year-old Lower Hutt man on drug charges

Police arrested a 71-year-old man on drug charges as part of an approach to dent the GBL market in the Wellington region.

Officers executed a search warrant on a property in Normandale, Lower Hutt on Friday, along with customs officers.

They found 300 grams of methamphetamine and approximately 13.5 liters of the GBL class B drug.

They arrested a local and charged him with importing methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine for supply and possession of GBL for supply. He was scheduled to appear in Hutt Valley District Court today.

The latest arrest follows last week’s completion of Operation Skipjack in the city of Wellington, where police seized about 400 liters of GBL and arrested two men.

“Police remain committed to ensuring that those who traffic in illicit substances are held accountable in court,” said Detective Sgt. Nick Pritchard.

“The drugs they sell cause immeasurable harm to members of our community, and it is with great satisfaction that this operation has removed this potential harm from circulation.”