Police say new technology results in recovery of stolen car and drugs recovery

Monday, 21 July 2014 - 3:03pm

Waikato Police are crediting the investment in modern technology for the recovery of a stolen car and a large amount of what is believed to be methamphetamine at Karapiro this morning.

District Road Policing Manager, Inspector Freda Grace, said an officer manning an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) equipped patrol car stopped a Mazda car travelling along Hydro Rd at Karapiro shortly before 7am.

"The ANPR system sits on top of the patrol car and scans and records the number plates of passing vehicles, instantly checking them against the Police's database.

"In this case the system identified the car as having been stolen in Auckland. It was then stopped and a subsequent search revealed a plastic bag containing about 17gms of what we believe is methamphetamine and another bag containing about 3gms of the same substance."

Mrs Grace said as a result of the discovery the 24-year-old female driver of the car, another 24-year-old woman travelling as a passenger and a 27-year-old man were arrested and are currently assisting Police with their enquiries.

"The ANPR system is really proving its worth. Here we have a stolen car recovered and considerable social harm prevented by the discovery of illegal drugs before they could find their way to the streets.

"During Waikato trials of ANPR last year, one patrol car equipped with the system scanned 1600 vehicles and identified 28 of interest. This resulted in four being impounded and one driver being suspended. This technology increases Police efficiency and allows our staff to be more effective in making our roads safe."

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