News
A routine morning at a Invercargill op shop turned into an unexpected police incident after a volunteer worker discovered drugs and cash inside a donated bag.
The worker noticed a bag sitting outside the front door of the store. Bags left at the entrance are a common sight, as members of the public frequently drop off items for staff to sort, clean and place on sale.
At first, nothing about the donation appeared unusual. However, once the worker brought the bag inside the shop, they quickly noticed a strong and distinctive smell coming from it. Curious about the pungent aroma, the worker opened the bag to investigate.
Inside were several bags containing cannabis, along with a large amount of cash.
Realising the seriousness of the discovery, the worker immediately contacted Police.
While the call was being made, two youths entered the store looking distressed and agitated. They told staff they were searching for a bag they had misplaced. Their behaviour quickly became tense, and they began acting aggressively towards the shop staff.
Local police responded quickly to the call and arrived at the store within a short time. Officers worked to calm the situation and detained the pair under the Search and Surveillance Act.
A search of the bag revealed 43.2 grams of cannabis, a set of scales, additional ziplock bags commonly used for packaging drugs, and $3700 in cash.
Police soon learned that the pair had left the bag outside the shop while waiting for their car to be serviced at a nearby workshop. This information led officers to the vehicle, where they carried out another search.
Inside the car, officers found an air pistol and a police scanner. They also discovered an additional $810 in cash.
The pair, a 16-year-old male and a 16-year-old female, were arrested and taken to a local police station.
Authorities say the calm and sensible actions of the op shop staff played a key role in the incident. By quickly contacting Police and remaining composed during the confrontation, staff helped ensure officers could respond rapidly.
The operation resulted in police recovering drugs, a weapon, a scanner, and a total of $4510 believed to be linked to illegal activity.
For the volunteer worker who first spotted the bag, it was certainly not a typical donation.