If found guilty, they face a maximum penalty of life in prison.<\/p>\n
The two appeared in the Whang\u0101rei District Court on August 7.<\/p>\n
Methamphetamine use is a huge problem in rural communities like Tinopai, according to a local leader who wants to see more police action against dealers. Photo \/ NZME<\/p>\n
The 43-year-old man, who faces 28 different charges, was remanded in custody to reappear on September 21.<\/p>\n
The 39-year-old woman, who faces five different charges, was remanded in custody to reappear on August 18.<\/p>\n
Tinopai resident Mikaera Miru<\/a> said P, or pure methamphetamine, was a serious problem in the rural community.<\/p>\n While he was pleased police were taking action against drug dealers, he wanted to see them make arrests in Tinopai itself, as well as nearby areas.<\/p>\n \u201cI am hopeful that the police are able to assist the community in dealing with the problem here in Tinopai, because we do have a huge problem.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2017, a community hui in Tinopai<\/a> against P attracted more than 100 people from the small community, all resolute to eradicate meth from the area.<\/p>\n But Miru said it had been an uphill battle since then, with the harm from meth continuing to spread.<\/p>\n \u201cThis problem is rooted so deeply in our community, it\u2019s going to take some time before we can turn this around.\u201d<\/p>\n Miru hoped the police action would encourage more people to go to police with information that could lead to an arrest.<\/p>\n \u201cI think a lot of people in the community are fed-up with the behaviour of some people. We don\u2019t know the extent of their P problem<\/a> but we know they\u2019re on P.\u201d<\/p>\n The latest wastewater drug testing, from January to March 2026, showed Northland had the highest methamphetamine consumption per capita of any region.<\/p>\n The chief executive of Kaikohe\u2019s Whakaoranga Wh\u0101nau Recovery Hub, Rhonda Zielinski, previously said she believed Northland was a hotspot for meth use because vulnerable communities were an easy target<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2018Join us in taking a firm stance against dealers,\u2019 police say<\/p>\n Stuart encouraged people to come to police, saying community information continued to play an important role in dealing with methamphetamine harm.<\/p>\n \u201cWe continue to applaud those in the community choosing to join us in taking a firm stance against those who are looking to profit off vulnerable communities.\u201d<\/p>\n Police took a comprehensive approach to methamphetamine harm across the district, including referring people to the right services if addiction was an issue, Stuart said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis includes [to] Te Ara Oranga<\/a>, who supports people and wh\u0101nau who are impacted by methamphetamine and want to make change, reduce harm for themselves and their wh\u0101nau and move toward recovery and healing.\u201d<\/p>\nIvy Te Nana and Richard Dick from Te Ara Oranga in Kaikohe say their door is always open to people wanting treatment for methamphetamine addiction. Photo \/ Denise Piper<\/p>\n