Please attribute statement to Senior Sergeant Andy Livingstone:
Taupō Police are actively focusing on minimising the harm of MDMA and cocaine across its community and through its hospitality industry.
Taupō and Turangi Area Response Manager Senior Sergeant Andy Livingstone says, "Taupō Police are committed to supporting the community to be an event destination, with a thriving town centre and nightlife, free from those who target our visitors and young people by attempting to make a quick profit selling restricted drugs."
This involves raising awareness about the issue in the town, encouraging and supporting those addicted to the drugs to seek help, appealing for the community to report and share information about drug suppliers, and through investigation and prosecution to prevent the sale of these drugs.
Taupō Police conducted two search warrants on 1 December at two local addresses, in relation to the supply of MDMA.
Three men and one woman have been charged with the supply of MDMA. They appeared in the Rotorua District Court on 2 December.
This follows the charging of three others for the supply of MDMA in September. Taupō Police expect more arrests to be made over the coming months.
Taupō Police see an increase in MDMA use over the summer period and have previously had to respond to medical events relating to the consumption of the drug.
The best thing people can do to prevent any risk is not to take illicit drugs. Police strongly recommend people take extreme care as what they think they may be taking may in fact be a completely different drug or substance.
If you, or someone you know, experience concerning or unexpected effects after taking something please report it to High Alert, New Zealand's drug early warning system, at www.highalert.org.nz. This is an anonymous function and helps keep others safe.
