Table of Contents
As Daddy Cool sang, in a tune that inexplicably failed to get as much airplay as “Eagle Rock”, Make your stash, be careful when you do. If only some Southland teens had heeded such advice.
Two teenagers mistakenly left a knapsack containing marijuana and cash at a donation area outside a New Zealand charity shop then returned in a panic to retrieve the bag, police said Monday.
Going back was their second mistake. As the Daddy Cool song continued, They’ve got dogs, I hear that they can smell right through plastic bags and things you think will do, and they’ve got men in blue.
A volunteer at the store noticed a pungent aroma before opening the knapsack and finding plastic bags of marijuana amounting to 1.5 ounces and 3,700 New Zealand dollars ($2,200) in banknotes, New Zealand Police said in a statement.
Using marijuana recreationally and selling the drug are illegal in New Zealand. Some medical use is allowed with a doctor’s prescription.
Police said the episode happened Feb 18 in the Southland region of the South Island. A spokesperson wouldn’t give more details of the shop’s location to protect staff.
The boy and girl had left the knapsack outside the shop as they waited for their vehicle to be serviced at a nearby shop, the police statement said. Officers were called after the agitated teens returned to the store.
At which point their day just kept getting better.
Police found an air pistol – which those under 18 can’t possess without a license and adult supervision – a police scanner and more cash in the teens’ car. It’s not illegal to have a police scanner in New Zealand, but distributing or acting on information heard is a crime.
“The quick and calm actions of the shop’s staff allowed for a rapid response from police and a great outcome in recovering drugs, a weapon, a scanner, and a total of $4510 [NZ] from illegal activity,” police said. “Not a bad day at the shop.”
Just think, some lucky customer could have made out like a bandit when they bought an old backpack for a few bucks.
💡
If you enjoyed this article please share it using the share buttons at the top or bottom of the article.
