Two men have been arrested and charged following an investigation into an alleged text scam in West Auckland.
The pair were arrested last week after police searched a property in Henderson as part of Operation Cargo — a joint investigation involving Waitematā Police and the Department of Internal Affairs.
Detective Senior Sergeant Ryan Bunting said SIM cards and phones, a sawn-off shotgun, a Ruger 270 bolt action rifle, and ammunition were found and seized during the search.
The criminal operation allegedly involved spam messages sent from the house “utilising the ‘hi Mum’, banking and Netflix scams to try and con unsuspecting victims”, he said.
“These text scams use any number of ruses to draw people in.
“No matter what method, the result is always heartache and loss for those who fall victim to it.”
Bunting said police were aware text scam operations were “arranged by transnational organised crime groups, who utilise local actors to carry out their deeds”.
The men, aged 20 and 51, were due to appear in the Waitākere District Court jointly charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition.
The 20-year-old has also been charged with possessing equipment capable of facilitating crimes.
Bunting said inquiries into the operation wre ongoing and further arrests could not be ruled out.
