MEDIA RELEASE: From Trust spokesman Garth McVicar
24th January 2008

Bail Laws Give Licence to Meth Cooks!

Justice Watchdog says granting Bail to the to the methamphetamine cook of, "one of the largest and most highly sophisticated clan labs ever seen" in NZ is ludicrous.

The Sensible Sentencing Trust was commenting after Police executed a search warrant on an Auckland address and discovered one of the largest and most highly sophisticated labs ever seen, with police saying it was a multi million dollar operation with firearms, drugs, cash, stolen goods and surveillance equipment on site.

But what has really got the Sensible Sentencing Trust upset is that when the 41 year old accused male appeared in the Auckland District Court he was granted Bail until depositions on 27 March.

“How dumb is that?” said Trust Spokesman Garth McVicar.

“This ludicrous decision is a classic example of how the new bail law was clearly written to empty prisons with no consideration given to the likelihood of re-offending, “or more disturbingly, community safety”.

“Drug operations of this magnitude are operated by organized crime, they are the only ones with the resources to make and distribute this amount of drugs”.

“The gang that set this up will be demanding the “cook” who police arrested compensate them for loss of product and potential income”.

“We now have a 'meth cook' under extreme pressure to pay back his debt to the gang, and because he's on bail he can do that by continuing to manufacture for them. The high likelihood that he is also a P addict adds further incentive for him to continue cooking”.

“This leaves the glaringly obvious scenario that somewhere in Auckland right now - in a small house in another suburburban neighbourhood - a gang hanging out for more P is setting up another clan lab and threatening their 'bailed cook' with his life if he doesn't start making meth right now”.

“You cannot tell me or any judge, police officer, or other sane person that this scenario wasn't expected or isn't happening”.

Mr. McVicar said that it was now patently obvious that the Government was prepared to pay the devastation methamphetamine causes in the community as an acceptable price to keep prison numbers down.”

“There is no other logical conclusion that can be reached when we see criminals like this being released back into the community”. Ends

ENDS

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