Police acted properly on information received

Bay of Plenty Police say that the search of a South African journalist in the early hours of Sunday morning was undertaken after Police received credible information about drug dealing in a Taupo bar.

The Bay of Plenty Police District Commander, Superintendent Glenn Dunbier, says in recent weeks, Police have received information about increasing quantities of ecstacy and cannabis being sold in and around Taupo, and that this activity was likely to increase during the Rugby World Cup, with offenders targeting visitors.

Superintendent Dunbier says the information indicates the amounts of drugs being sold were higher than usual, and Police have had an operation in place to address this offending.

He says that the night before this particular incident, a New Zealander was arrested after Police received information about drug dealing in another Taupo bar in the same area.

Superintendent Dunbier says that at 2am on Sunday morning, 25 September, a police officer on duty outside a Taupo bar was approached by a patron who told him that a man was dealing drugs in the toilets of the bar.

“The Police officer was given a description of the person involved.

“After discussing it with his Sergeant, a decision was made to respond to the information, given the intelligence received about increased drug dealing in the community and the potential impact of this drug offending.

“The sergeant and two constables went into the bar, and approached a man who fitted the description given. Due to the high level of noise in the bar, the man was invited to accompany Police outside so they could talk, which he agreed to do.”

Superintendent Dunbier says it was explained to the man that Police had been told a man fitting his description was alleged to have been drug dealing and he was advised that the police could search him for drugs.

“The Police staff quite rightly considered that it wasn’t appropriate to do this in public and he was taken back to the Police station, located about 400 metres away, in order to allow the man an element of privacy.

“He was very cooperative throughout and voluntarily went back to the station where he was spoken to and searched, and he was returned to the bar within ten minutes.

“There is no doubt that this was an unpleasant experience for him and we apologise to him for any inconvenience.

“It was handled by my staff properly and professionally and it was the appropriate action to take given the information they had been given, and in the context of the current drug situation in Taupo.

“Drugs cause significant harm in our communities, and it is harm that often translates far beyond the individual user. As such, we do need to act on such information. We wouldn't be doing our job if we didn't and it is work that our community expects from us.”

Superintendent Dunbier says any suggestion the search was racially motivated is incorrect.

“We had received credible information about an alleged offence and we were obliged to act on that information. Ethnicity, occupation or any other details would be irrelevant – the Police focus was on the alleged offence.”