5. Question No. 5—PoliceGINNY ANDERSEN (Labour—Hutt South) (remote) to the Minister of PoliceQuestion No. 5—Police5. GINNY ANDERSEN (Labour—Hutt South) (remote) to the Minister of Police: What recent reports has she seen regarding the disruption of organised crime?Hon POTO WILLIAMS (Minister of Police) (remote): I've seen a report that Police will continue a major operation to crack down on gangs and organised crime with the extension of Operation Tauwhiro announced on Tuesday. Operation Tauwhiro is a nationally coordinated operation that we launched back in February 2021 designed to disrupt and prevent firearms-related violence by gangs and organised crime groups. The operation will now run until June 2022 ensuring that the incredible successful year-long operation will continue to significantly disrupt organised crime in New Zealand. Ginny Andersen: What successes if any has Operation Tauwhiro had in the past year? Hon POTO WILLIAMS: Operation Tauwhiro is one of the most successful police operations ever undertaken in New Zealand to combat organised crime. As part of this operation Police have taken 1531 firearms off the street arrested 1255 people taken 53 kilograms of methamphetamine out of circulation and conducted 926 searches under warrant as well as 634 warrantless searches. A key focus of the operation has been and will continue to be investigating and disrupting the illegal supply of firearms to gangs and organised crime groups. Ginny Andersen: What other reports has she seen regarding police operations targeting gangs and organised crime? Hon POTO WILLIAMS: Police have a number of major operations under way at any one time to break up gangs and organised crime. At the end of February Police terminated a major operation at the border alongside their colleagues at Customs. This successful multi-agency operation identified and terminated the shipment of more than half a tonne of methamphetamine arriving in Auckland Airport on 24 February. The street value of this seizure is estimated to be more than $245 million. The operation strikes a major blow against the importation of drugs into New Zealand. Hon Mark Mitchell (remote): Is she aware that gang membership has increased by over 50 percent since Labour came into office and is she surprised by comments from a local business owner where a stray bullet from a gang brawl injured a staff member saying that the Government is delusional" when talking about its efforts to quash gangs? Hon POTO WILLIAMS: My sympathies go out to that business owner and the staff member. This Government has made record investments into our police and put more police on the beat. Those investments have supported Police to undertake operations such as Tauwhiro one of the most successful police operations against gangs and organised crime. I would note that the previous Government announced firearms prohibition orders for example in 2014 and 2016 and yet failed to introduce the legislation. This Government has a bill before select committee that will give Police more tools to crack down on gun crime. DEPUTY SPEAKER: The Hon Mark Mitchell—supplementary. Hon Mark Mitchell: Mr Speaker I only had one supplementary but I'm happy to take another one. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Oh I beg your pardon—my mistake. We'll—Hon Gerry Brownlee: No you were called. You can't be uncalled. DEPUTY SPEAKER: We'll go on to the next question. Hon Gerry Brownlee: No hang on. You can't do that Mr Speaker. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Well I can."