Masterton Police are taking action against unlawful hunters, with a number of people before the courts facing charges relating to illegal poaching activity.

A man was taken into custody after a search warrant was executed at a Masterton address on Wednesday 16 July, where firearms and cannabis were located and seized from the property.

Wairarapa Area Commander, Inspector Nick Thom, says staff located and seized three firearms, as well as cannabis plants from the address.

Wairarapa-based prevention staff were assisted by the Tactical Crime Unit, Offender Prevention Teams and a drone operator.

The man, aged 50, is due to appear in the Masterton District Court on Monday 4 August, charged with unlawful possession of non-prohibited firearms, cultivating cannabis and unlawful hunting.

A second man, aged 44, was also at the property at the time and arrested on an unrelated matter.

He has been remanded in custody and is due to reappear in the Huntly District Court on 15 August, charged with kidnapping and indecent assault.

Further instances of unlawful hunting in the Wairarapa

This week’s arrest comes off the back of the good work that the Wairarapa Rural team have been doing to hold poachers accountable for their offending.

“Poaching is a significant issue for our rural communities, and is often under-reported. Poaching has real effects on the community and any offenders will face real-world consequences,” Inspector Thom says.

Two other people have been arrested and charged with unlawful hunting in the Wairarapa region in recent months.

In April a 29-year-old man was arrested and charged with unlawful hunting, he is set to reappear in Masterton District Court on 24 July.

This was followed by a 30-year-old man being arrested and charged with unlawful hunting and possessing a firearm without a license. He is set to reappear in the Masterton District Court on 24 July.

Firearms from both men were seized in warrants that led to their arrests.

“This should serve as a reminder that people should not be shooting from vehicles or targeting deer on private land.

“People must have a firearms license and get permission to hunt prior to going out to do so. You can expect to face enforcement action if you are found to be breaching these rules,” Inspector Thom says.

To help Police identify and hold poachers accountable, we ask anybody to report suspicious behaviour to us, including suspicious vehicles or people in your local area, as this could be the piece of the puzzle we need in our investigation.

If it is happening now, call 111. If you are reporting information after the fact, call 105 or go online.

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