A Dunedin man arrested yesterday as part of a police meth crackdown that netted 20kg of the drug has made his first appearance in court.
Khalid Slaimankhel faces 16 charges after his arrest in Dunedin along with nine other men who were taken into custody in Auckland and Christchurch as part of Operation Maddale.
Mr Slaimankhel is accused of possessing methamphetamine for supply, supplying the class-A drug, money laundering, participating in a criminal organisation and suppressing evidence.
Police also seized $550,000 in cash, assets including a Porsche, a Jeep and several motorbikes, and methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $12 million in the bust which involved 150 officers yesterday.
He did not enter a plea to any of the charges and will be taken to Auckland for another appearance there tomorrow.
Watch Checkpoint's report of the bust yesterday: