A massive bust
April 28th, 2010 at 7:01 am by David FarrarThis really was a massive bust:
A national indoor gardening chain would not have turned a profit if it hadn’t been knowingly supplying equipment and advice to cannabis growers, police say.
Directors, managers and staff from the 16 Switched On Gardener stores – which are advertised on national television – around the country have been arrested and charged as part of Operation Lime which targeted businesses responsible for the commercial sale of equipment used to grow cannabis.
Police yesterday raided indoor gardening stores, including Switched on Gardener branches in Auckland and Tauranga and GreenDay Hydroponics in Mt Maunganui.
They swooped on 35 businesses and at least 100 homes throughout New Zealand.
More than 250 suspects were arrested, and 750 charges are likely to be laid. …
They said that over two years undercover officers bought equipment, were given advice on how to grow cannabis, and even bought cannabis and other drugs over the counter.
It is rare to see corporate suppliers charged, rather than just the growers. The key is proving knowledge of what the product was to be used for. If, as reported, they gave out advice on how to use them to grow cannabis, they are likely to be in serious trouble.
Related posts:
- Kahui Twins Father Arrested
- Is detaining burglars kidnapping?
- Roger McClay charged
- Carpet cleaner charged
April 28th, 2010 at 7:14 am
I reckon this is a trademe bust.
No doubt a lot of sales were via trade me. This allows the cops to trace the names/addresses of both businesses and customers selling/buying. Perfect!!
I did see a subnote that trademe is removing cannabis supplies from their website.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 7:15 am
I have often wondered at their Radio Advertising and how they were able to get away with it, You would need to be very slow not to catch on to the fact that your “Hydroponic Wardrobe” was not really meant for carrots but maybe more for the special cabbage leaves and Heads or Tails had its own special interpretation as well.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 7:18 am
DPF: I’m confused. If alcohol regulation is ‘the nanny state gone mad’, isn’t this even worse?
[DPF: Enforcing the law is what one expects of law enforcement. Personally I would have cannabis use decriminalised but that is not the law]
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 7:20 am
Is dope legal Danyl? Crack a beer but don’t drink the bong water you demented twiit.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 7:25 am
It’s interesting looking at their website and reading up about their privacy policy in respect to Affiliated Businesses.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 7:32 am
Enforcing the law is what one expects of law enforcement.
So once the drinking age is raised to 20 you’ll be a staunch supporter of police shutting down businesses that serve minors?
[DPF: try and do sensible comparisons. If a bar knowingly serves under age drinkers they should be prosecuted - absolutely. The law does not mandate closing them down unless they get done repeatedly.
The better comparison is a company that sells fake ID cards and tells people how to use them get alcohol illegally. I'd expect such a company to face some serious charges]
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 8:04 am
I’ve always wondered why it seemed so obvious that they were supplying the drug industry yet the police semmingly had done anything about it.
I now believe the police have been waiting, waiting, waiting until the client base got really big.
Vote:And now it’s a massive national bust rather than just small local nab.
April 28th, 2010 at 8:09 am
I am reliable informed that the SOG has been very helpful to “enthusiasts” for over a decade. Wonder why its taken this long to bust them?
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 8:14 am
Proving the knowledge or intent is going to be the interesting bit. If staff did give advise on growing cannabis, that would go a long way towards proving knowledge of purpose. But how will they prove intent against the business owners? As usual, it will probably be the foot soldiers who take the rap, while those higher up the chain get off scot free.
But what a silly bloody law anyway.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 8:16 am
“But what a silly bloody law anyway.”
Agree 100%. Is this really the “A” issue for our cops?
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 8:16 am
expat – quite. This is what I wondered. Also since when were gardening shops “R18″.
I suspect the cops sought a Crown Law opinion on the quality of evidence needed to clobber them. I would not be surprised if there was an undercover cop working in one of the shops.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 8:16 am
I was however hoping this was a piece on Kitten Natividad or Wendy Whoppers tho’.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 8:22 am
sigh… back to the good old days of pushing over street lights to flog the sodium vapour lamps and transformers out of the heads. Oh, and expect more house fires caused by poorly installed lights and the amateur wiring in the DIY versions of ‘carrot growing wardrobes’.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 8:28 am
The timing has a lot to do with recent law changes regarding seizure of property – police action can now have a much more significant effect on illegally operating businesses.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 8:31 am
@KiwiGreg
Meanwhile, the cops take four hours to turn up when I report my house as having been burgled, off-licences flagrantly break the law by selling booze to fifteen year olds and certain bars serve punters who are so pissed they can barely walk, and not an police officer in sight.
I wonder how many millions were spent and how many person hours were wasted on this exercise targeting businesses selling harmless hydroponic equipment and advising people about horticulture.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 8:37 am
Presumably this will kill this particular chain even if the owners escape conviction by creating detection anxiety within this particular community.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 9:01 am
Proving the knowledge or intent is going to be the interesting bit.
Ever heard a ‘Switched on Gardner’ ad on the radio?
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 9:25 am
Toad
“Meanwhile, the cops take four hours to turn up when I report my house as having been burgled, off-licences flagrantly break the law by selling booze to fifteen year olds and certain bars serve punters who are so pissed they can barely walk, and not an police officer in sight.”
Welcome to the liberal world that people like you created.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 9:27 am
Three thoughts:
-hardly a secret who their target market, considering their ads state useful for growing what you ‘want’ in cupboards behind your clothes
Vote:- what a waste of police resources
- what a fucking stupid law.
April 28th, 2010 at 9:36 am
i think my buddys gf is the only person to buy a set up from them to grow veges. works well too.
bruv – ya crack me up
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 9:36 am
I’m amazed that cops can spend two years undercover to bust a garden centre, yet ignore Masterton’s pederast circle for over ten years. You’ve got to wonder about police priorities.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 9:38 am
http://whoar.co.nz/2010/commentwhoarsoon-the-one-handwe-have-tears-being-shed-at-the-possibilities-of-bars-selling-a-highly-addictive-drugbeing-forced-to-close-at-200amand-on-the-otherwe-have-suppliers-of-growing-equipment-f/
and also..at the same time..the govt refuses to raise the excise tax on this addictive drug..
(so teenagers can still buy $2 booze-hits..and the booze-barons are kept ‘happy’..eh..?..)
..and we have california..which has had medical-pot since the early nineties..
..now having a binding referendum (in nov.) on full legalisation/taxation..etc..of cannabis..
as i said..how seriously out-of-whack is all that..eh..?..
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 9:40 am
@ Toad my favourite is the 4 cops who spent a week catching people using lower Queen Street as a thoroughfare.
But that’s the end of our love fest – I hate your politics!!!
This is (one of the many) reasons I never fitted in when I lived in the US – way too liberal on social issues for Republicans and way too economically rational for Democrats.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 9:43 am
“Enforcing the law is what one expects of law enforcement. Personally I would have cannabis use decriminalised but that is not the law.” Totally with you- and now that hundreds of criminals have been created, where will we put them all?
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 10:07 am
“..Personally I would have cannabis use decriminalised ..”
so why don’t you use your resources to argue/present this case..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
[DPF: I have blogged on this, when the issue has been in the news.]
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 10:45 am
Tell me DPF, what exactly is illegal about giving advice on how to grow cannabis?
What is illegal about selling hydro exquipment? Magazines? Fertilizer? How on earth is it the responsibility of the retailer as to what the end user uses it for?
Just another example of the police making up the law as they go along (similar to the whole Thumbhole stocks make your firearm an assult rifle fiasco from a few months ago).
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 10:54 am
You never know, maybe this case could be the turning point to make dope legal. It’s a crazy waste of police resources when the real target should be P.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 11:18 am
“..[DPF: I have blogged on this, when the issue has been in the news.]..”
why don’t you do one of your prodigious research efforts..
..and present the definitive cogent-argument..?
..woven locally..
(not just a ..’me too..!’..(albeit that is good..eh..?)
and as others have noted..’p’ is rampant..
..and a two-year undercover op..targeting garden suppliers..?
..(a nice easy/safe/stationary target tho..eh..?..
and it took two fucken years..?
and will there be a clawing-back-of-profits/assets from tvnz/tv3..?
..for running ads that were obvious to any watcher..a ‘nudge-nudge..wink-wink’..to a ‘criminal-enterprise’..
and hey..!..you know all those pissed people we see on the news all the time..?
..you know how there are laws..aimed at bars/pushers of booze..about serving intoxicated punters..?
guess how many prosecutions the police have lodged since these laws were passed..?
go on..!..guess..!
answer:..six…fucken six..
how about a two year undercover program targetting those peddlers who keep selling booze to the already pissed..eh..?
.i reckon that’d go a long way towards cleaning up that drunks in the street at closing time problem..
..eh..?
hypocrisy/lies..and cant..are the ‘official’ arguments around these issues..
..on both the booze and pot sides..
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 11:27 am
Waste of time, change the law.
I know 10s and 10s of people that have smoked a lot in there younger years and all turned out just fine.
The 430 million dollar cost to NZ that news articles quote would be more like 1 million if they just changed this stupid law already.
Simon Powers, what a nice cunt. Not to mention smart and rational.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 11:43 am
DPF I challenge you as philu does.
After all politics is about doing the right thing and not having people needlessly persecuted.
We need social cohesion not social division. Which is what cannabis prohibition achieves. We could even get rid of a couple of weeks worth of borrowing by decriminalizing.
Not that I support large scale criminal activity, but I don’t see any end to this while cannabis is illegal. The use rates have never fallen under prohibition. And the majority of smokers are functional as with any other “social group”.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Tis a shame. I always had a giggle when i heard their ad’s on the wireless.
It has been reported that undercovers had purchased clones over the counter. Now as far as I can see, thats blatantly illegal and whilst I think the current Marijuana Laws are stupid, the fact is that if you engage in a blatantly illegal activity, then you should always Accept that if you get caught you’ll get punished.
You should also accept that when you promote your business as a supplier to contraband activities, then you will attract attention from the police.
I mean really, SOG were blatantly taking the piss with their ads. Eh.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
It’s only for growing carrots & tomatoes, yeah right!
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 12:15 pm
LOL – I always thought they looked dodgy. Their company logo has a massive dope leaf on it FFS. And their TV adverts always exemplified big industrial-looking set-ups in large windowless rooms… not really much like my Nana’s tomato patch.
And who can afford to run 600W bulbs for their geraniums?
I would love to see dope decriminalised, it seems like the harmful consequences are pretty user-pays, (you don’t see many crazed samurai sword attacks by stoned people) and the government should be protecting us from each other, not from ourselves.
Vote:But the Police shouldn’t be expected to make judgement calls about what crimes they should turn a blind eye too, so good work by them.
April 28th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
PS: after the promising title “A massive bust” this thread disappoints.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
“But the Police shouldn’t be expected to make judgement calls about what crimes they should turn a blind eye too,”
Actually they totally are, and in fact do it all the time. It’s called constabular independence. The copper who pulls me over for speeding can, and does, let me off with a warning rather than prosecuting me, even where there is no dispute I have “broken the law”.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
So…
First we decide that corporal punishment is not the done thing in our schools, kids start assaulting and threatening teachers, then we inform them of their “rights”, next some fucked up fool introduces an anti smacking bill into the house which is passed against overwhelming opposition from the vast majority of Kiwis.
Then we drop the legal drinking age and now have so many problems with pissed up and out of control teens.
Now we have idiots wanting to legalise cannabis….
Don’t these hand wringers ever learn?
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 12:26 pm
/shrug I’m no handwringer. The retards who caned me at school should never have had the authority and right to do so, unlike my mum who smacked my arse many a time, always because I deserved it. I wouldnt let me kids attend a school where a teacher could hit them, any more than I’d let a shop keeper of some other employee hit them.
Corporal punishment in schools is an entirely different issue from parental correction.
Neither of them have ANYTHING to do with drinking and drug taking.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 12:28 pm
I posted this on GD yesterday, more applicable here.
The bust on SOG is a soft bust, no different than popping people for doing 111kph on the motorway. Makes the stats look good eh crusher?
Vote:Thanks for saving us from all the fucked up drug addicts boys, time and money well spent! Tui.
The police in NZ really have become a bunch of soft cock, pencil pushing shiny arses.
April 28th, 2010 at 12:28 pm
So a few more gang grow houses shut down and a few new mobile P-Lab’s will be kicked into action to replace the lost revenue… Is this a good thing ?
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 12:34 pm
menace said;
This is exactly the point we need to consider. It’s all very well to grab a front page with a fat number like $430m but that’s only the size of the number because of the fact pot is illegal. Pot is no harder to grow than tomatoes, are tomatoes circa $300 oz ?
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 12:37 pm
Pot’s easier, technically it really is a weed.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 12:37 pm
Also this is not the first time SOG have been in the middle of a bust. I think it was about 7-8 years ago a similar thing happened but with a few stores rather than nation wide.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
Bollocks.
Legalise.
Now.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
I save my big research efforts for current issues and ones that have a chance of happening.
I passionately believe NZ would be far better off with privatisation of most SOEs. I could do hundreds of posts on the benefits of this. But it would be futile. Same with cannabis law reform.
As issues hit the news, I’ll comment on them. On some issues, I will try and push a proactive agenda – but they have to be topical issues which Parliament has a degree of an open mind on – hence electoral law, drinking age, VSM etc.
As I do this unpaid, I have to be selective with my energy.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Toad says -
“Meanwhile, the cops take four hours to turn up …”
Four hours … HOURS!!??? Why, that’s even less time than it takes them to send a taxi to the Waitakeres. Christ, four HOURS would be a miracle even if you were in the bloody house shouting “rape” when it was being burgled.
Who TF do you know Toad? Have you married into Commissioner Pugwash’s family, is he an uncle or something, or have you got some dirt on him?
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 1:29 pm
“..As I do this unpaid, I have to be selective with my energy…”
(muffled snort..)
so..those who say you are a craven bootlick to national are incorrect..?
it’s all just a matter of ‘time-management’..eh..?
..and ‘unpaid’ for yr efforts..?..eh..?
(even louder muffled snort..)
..payment can come in a variety of ways..eh..?
..y’know..!..for promoting the agenda..eh..?
(mmm!!..gummint-contracts..!..sweet..!..)
..’unpaid’..?..really..?
i think you do ok at the gummint-money trough..eh..?
.care to contend that..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
[DPF: My blogging costs me money. If I did not blog I would have far far more clients for my polling business, in my opinion.
And as usual you are wrong on the most basic facts. I whacked National pretty damn hard on the republicanism vote - in fact used the authoritarian word, and said they had denied people a voice.
And likewise my advocacy on the drinking age issue is far from winning me friends. The Minister of Justice looked pretty pissed off on the TV news after I leaked the main recommendations]
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
SOG has been advertising for years and I’ve always thought the demand for equipment to secretly grow lettuce in the wardrobe must be somewhat limited. What took the police so long to twig? Or are they really the thick blue line?
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 1:31 pm
This is just so much bullshit. Selling hydroponic equipment is not illegal. Even giving out information about how to cultivate cannabis is not illegal.
Just a stupid waste of police resources against a “crime” that shouldn’t be a crime anyway.
Wankers.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
DPF
I’m pretty sure [
] that this PQ has been asked before: What percentage of charges laid by Police and subsequently processed in the courts are Marijuana related ?
What percentage would you expect? I’m guessing circa 10% [
]
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 1:50 pm
DPF, fair enough mate, good place you’ve created here anyway……
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
DPF explains:
Translation: “Have you heard “Crusher” Collins and “Suburban Solicitor” Power speak on the topic?! I’d be better off trying to get them to understand quantum mechanics”.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
This is bloody funny. SOG basically advertised to the world “come here and get your pot growing stuff” and then they wondered why they got busted? Whatever ones views on decriminilisaiton of cannabis these turkeys were taking the piss and rightly have been taken down. It’s had me amused for nearly 24 hours now in any event.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 3:21 pm
PS – I struggle to see how any thread with phil u destroying the English language can be a compelling advert for decriminalisation
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 4:25 pm
Gee philu what’s your fucking problem?. You run a blog why don’t you sink your resources into legalising weed?. Surely you have the time to rally the troops, why should David be the flag waver for this rather nefarious cause? And if you go ahead with the cause you can also proudly state that you are unpaid. After all it’s only a matter of time management and you have plenty of time to mange.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
“..and you have plenty of time to mange…”
heh..!
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
Bollocks to decriminalisation.
Nowadays the wowsers are all calling booze a drug…..Orwell would turn in his grave.
Tobacco is hammered by all and sundry and people are calling to decrim this shit! Call yourself conservative!
Maybe change the way it’s dealt with by the justice system but no to decrim.
This country has a huge problem with motivation as it is ,why make it worse?
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
“..You run a blog why don’t you sink your resources into legalising weed?..”
http://whoar.co.nz/?s=cannabis
there ya go..!
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 5:13 pm
PS – I struggle to see how any thread with phil u destroying the English language can be a compelling advert for decriminalisation
If PhilU is the poster boy for decriminalisation, then marijuana will always be illegal.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 5:16 pm
or..
http://whoar.co.nz/?s=marijuana
that pretty much covers it..eh..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 5:22 pm
kowtow says:
You do know the difference between decriminalisation and legalisation, don’t you?
While marijuana is debatable in terms of legalisation, I doubt almost anyone would call for the legalisation of harder drugs (certainly not me, anyway).
Whereas decriminalising them all (in terms of use / possession for personal use) while simultaneously invoking harsher penalties for importers / manufacturers / distributors is something that is well worth considering, given that the “War of Drugs” shows all the hallmarks of having been directed by General Custer.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
“..then marijuana will always be illegal…”
no it won’t..california will legalise/tax..in nov..and other states will rush to follow..
..the dominos will fall..
it’s only a matter of ‘when?’ here..not ‘if’..
..think of all the money saved..and the tax revenue earned..
..(“mmmm!..tax-revenue..!”
..and the cops can focus on the dangerous drugs..like ‘p’..and alcohol..
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 5:38 pm
“..I doubt almost anyone would call for the legalisation of harder drugs (certainly not me, anyway)…”
you do realise that portugal did just that..years ago..decriminalised personal posession of all drugs..
..the outcomes..?
the blackmarket decimated..
low-rent junkie crimes like burglary etc..drop thru the floor..
..and..no more drug-corrupt police..
personally..i will argue that the gold card should include access to medicinal cocaine..and heroin..(if wanted/needed..)
..i mean..why not..?
..who gives a flying fuck if/how the aged ease their final years..
..what fucken right do we have to deny them access to these proven salves..(albeit addictive ones..)
we are more than happy to pill them to the eyeballs on the poisonous addictive mucks peddled/pushed by the legal drug industry..
..eh..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 5:49 pm
From the looks of it philu if weed was legalised tomorrow you would be shattered . Life would have no purpose, nothing to get out of bed for, nothing more to post on whoar. Be careful for what you wish for.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
“who gives a flying fuck if/how the aged ease their finial years”……… If all drugs were legalised there probably would be a hell of a lot less worrying about their finial years. Perhaps you have solved our super problem, most gone before they get there, free drugs for the rest so they don’t miss their super, brilliant philu. I would send a letter to Shonkey.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 7:07 pm
Look at the potential tax income guys. Surely the fruit cakes that call themselves politicians could slip a clause into the currently being debated attempt to increase the excise tax on tobacco and decriminalize cannabis whilst at the same time taxing it.
Win won all round and saving to be made in the police and justice depts.
Safer communities from better policing.
Just makes so much sense.
Vote:God next years Mission Concert is going to be boring. All those thousands of old farts won’t be able to get a ready supply.
Same for Xmas in the Park and the New Plymouth Gardens.
shit life will be tough for a lot.
DUMB, DUMB, DUMB.