Southern District police have put restraining orders on $1.8 million of assets, including two Queenstown Lakes properties, in the past few days following a crackdown on cannabis growers.
Operation Canary targeted large-scale commercial cannabis growing operations thought to be linked in a multi-million dollar syndicate.
The four-year long operation targeted large-scale cultivation of cannabis across the district in Western Southland, Fiordland and Queenstown Lakes. It ended last Thursday.
Five people were arrested as a result of warrants executed on Thursday. All have appeared in the Queenstown or Invercargill District Courts on cannabis cultivation or selling related charges.
Under the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery) Act, Southern Police have put restraining orders on two Queenstown Lakes properties valued at a total of $1.2 million. A further Invercargill property valued at $380,000 has also had a restraining order replaced on it.
Other assets restrained include approximately $100,000 worth of cash, a boat worth $38,000 and two vehicles worth approximately $45,000.
"Restraining the ill-gotten assets of people involved in organised criminal activity continues to be an important commitment for us," said Detective Senior Sergeant Malcolm Inglis of the Southern District Organised Crime squad.
Mr Inglis says the $1.8 million was the highest value of assets that Southern Police have restrained in relation to the illegal drugs trade, under the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery) Act.
Police said at least two arrests were pending in relation to Operation Canary.
