Officers found "multiple samples of stolen pounamu that had been cut and were for sale" after searching a Dunedin property on Monday, police said in a statement.
"In total, 820 kilograms of pounamu were seized by police."
A 29-year-old man was arrested for obstruction and appeared in the Dunedin District Court.
He had been released on bail and charges in relation to the pounamu were being considered, police said.
Pounamu is the property of Ngāi Tahu by virtue of the Pounamu (Ngāi Tahu) Vesting Act 1997.
Public fossicking for pounamu was only allowed on West Coast beaches and the size of pounamu allowed to be taken is limited to something you can carry in one hand.
Rivers are able to be fossicked by Ngāi Tahu whānau members, but only with a collection permit granted by the kaitiaki (guardian) rūnanga, in this case Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio, being the kaitiaki of South Westland.
Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio chairman Paul Madgwick said the local hapu Ngāti Māhaki were grateful for the swift response of police for what has been an ongoing problem with theft of their taonga.
“This complaint was made due to the person brazenly parading our stolen pounamu as if they have a right to help themselves to it – they don’t, and we are working closely with the police to prevent further theft of our taonga.”
Madgwick said all pounamu was easily identifiable, like DNA, and could be traced back to particular catchments.
Some of the stolen stone has been hacked and quarried from some of these remote catchments and been illegally sold to carvers around New Zealand.
Detective Sergeant Jesse Thomson, of Dunedin, said the seizure was "a great result by our team".
"We want to send a clear message that Police will not tolerate this type of offending and will hold anyone who engages in this behaviour to account."
- Allied Media
