Police raid Hastings drug house

Ebbett St residents have "a bloody great Christmas present" after a Hastings police raid removed a drug-dealing operation from their Raureka street.

Detective Sergeant Mark Moorhouse said police executed a search warrant, with the aid of the armed offenders squad, on a house in Ebbett St at 8am.

A 39-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man were arrested.

The woman is facing "serious drug charges" involving methamphetamine and cannabis.

Mr Moorhouse said the raid was a termination of a police operation, but did not rule out further arrests.

"We've got the main ones we were after, but there is a bit of work to do."

He said there were now some "pretty happy neighbours".

"They came out and told us how grateful they were today. They said there had been a pretty busy operation there for a couple of months.

"It's nice to give them their street back just before Christmas."

One neighbour told Hawke's Bay Today the raid was a hive of police activity, with about 25 officers involved.

"Armed offenders cordoned off the street, then came into the house," he said.

"They got the people sorted out and the rest of the police cars came in - they were parked in Oliphant Rd."

He said police had taken away the tenant and her three school-aged children in their early teens. The drug dealing had been going on for four months and several people had informed police.

One neighbour had confronted the woman directly telling her everyone knew what she was up to. Another had painted on the footpath, "Get your drugs here" with an arrow pointing to the house.

"We told the police a couple of times but still nothing was happening - but it certainly happened this morning. It's a bloody great Christmas present."

He said "a constant stream of people", some wearing gang patches, visited the house 24/7 which was "highly noticeable in a narrow cul-de-sac of just 14 houses".

"We all had to keep everything locked up."

He said the raided house had security cameras throughout, including one at the letterbox.

"All of us are relieved. They lived beside an 80-year-old lady - she is just so ecstatic."

Another neighbour said the raided house's tenant "certainly brought the street down with a thud".

The wide variety of visitors "was amazing".

"It's not just young people who do drugs, it's pensioners to very young people - and it's all classes of people.

"Often their partner was hiding in the car around the corner - it was like something out of the Hollywood movies."

She said traffic to the house "was like traffic to the supermarket 24/7".

"Our cul-de-sac is very quiet, good neighbours, older people, a couple of young people and an IHC house. We have lovely neighbours of all ages. We have a street barbecue every year where everyone gets together. Lovely people.

"This street is very much delighted its gone.

"I did thank the police, because we have our street back. And we deserve to have it back."