Hamilton search for illegal party pills leads to discovery of explosives

A Hamilton man's entrepreneurial instincts have resulted in him facing serious drugs and possibly explosives charges following the search of a Hillcrest property yesterday.

District Crime Manager, Acting Detective Inspector Karl Thornton said the search, which will continue today, resulted from follow up enquiries of a matter in March when a man bought a quantity 'party pills' into the Hamilton Police Station and asked that the items be analysed to determine their legal status.

"Police declined to fund the tests however the man had also supplied a quantity of the pills to a media organisation who commissioned the ESR, the same scientific institute contracted by Police for forensic analysis, to test the pills.

"Those tests revealed the pills contained 25C-NBOMe, a Class C controlled drug, which is an analogue or modified version of the Class A drug known as "DOB".

Mr Thornton said as a result the initial lot of pills and a second quantity were taken by Police and yesterday's arrest was as a result of follow up inquiries.

"In situations such as this it would be remiss of us not to carry up such follow up actions. In line with this, officers went to a Hillcrest property where they found quantities of chemicals and equipment which gave us cause for concern.

"An Auckland based Clandestine Laboratory Team were called to the property and a forensic examination began. During the search a quantity of what we believe to be explosives was discovered and Police requested the assistance of a Defence Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal team."

Mr Thornton said the Defence Force personnel confirmed the items were explosives and the substances were removed for analysis and destruction.

"As a precautionary measure immediate neighbours of the property were evacuated and a 200m cordon was established. As part of these procedures a nearby school was contacted and advised of the situation and students were requested to leave school via the front entrance, not via the rear."

"In addition to the explosives, chemicals and equipment were removed and sent for analysis to determine their composition and legal status. A Police scene guard was in place overnight and a search of the property will resume this morning."

A 26-year-old man from the address has been arrested and charged in relation to importing Class B and C controlled drugs and is expected to appear in the Hamilton District Court today.