A dozen firearms, methamphetamine and more than $1 million in cash, gold, high-end vehicles and bitcoins have been seized by Auckland police as part of a major investigation into organised crime.
Tāmaki Makaurau Organised Crime Team have been in charge of Operation Evansville, a four-month-long investigation with the final phase conducted on Tuesday.
They were investigating people involved in organised crime in the city, which included people with strong links to the Head Hunters Motorcycle Gang.
More than 21 search warrants were conducted in the wider Auckland region, with seven of those carried out on Tuesday in Henderson, Long Bay, Flatbush and Auckland Central.
Along with the money, firearms and drugs, they found two clandestine labs.
Eleven people have been arrested as part of Operation Evansville, including two men, aged 47 and 50, who were arrested in the final phase of the operation, and have since appeared in the Auckland District Court.
The 11 arrested now face charges including Robbery, Unlawful Possession of Firearms, Possession for Supply Methamphetamine, Manufacturing Methamphetamine and Money Laundering.
In a statement on Wednesday, Detective Inspector Aaron Pascoe said organised crime groups, drugs and guns go hand in hand.
"These organised criminals are often unlawfully in possession of firearms, which poses a risk to our community and is completely unacceptable," he said.
"They often live what appears to be a lavish lifestyle with cash and flash cars, but they do that by peddling methamphetamine into our community, devastating the lives of the users and their families in the process.
"Their offending has a flow-on effect, with drug users often turning to crime such as robbery, burglary and theft to fund their drug addictions, leaving innocent victims in their wake."
Det Insp Pascoe said police are continuing to target organised crime with Operation Tauwhiro, which was announced by Police Commissioner Andrew Coster on Friday.
The operation aims to "disrupt and prevent firearms-related violence by criminal gangs and organised crime groups".
