The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has carried out a major crackdown on organised crime groups using migrant workers to run illegal cannabis operations in New Zealand.
Immigration Compliance and Investigations teams, alongside Risk and Verification units, launched a three-month operation targeting 38 companies suspected of breaching immigration and employment rules.
The groups, linked to criminal syndicates, were exploiting vulnerable migrants—many from the Vietnamese community—by housing them in residential properties used for sophisticated indoor cannabis growing setups.
The operation resulted in 14 infringement notices, with two more pending, and 38 deportation liability notices for individuals unlawfully in the country or breaching visa conditions.
MBIE cancelled 70 visas in total, including eight at the border, and stopped eight passengers from boarding flights to New Zealand.
Officials say information gathered has been shared across government agencies to pursue further non-compliance and criminal activity.
MBIE General Manager Steve Watson warned migrants to beware of scams demanding large fees from offshore agents, calling the crackdown a key step in preventing future exploitation and upholding the integrity of New Zealand’s immigration system.
Integrity of NZ Immigration Scheme? That’s a joke 😐
How dare they. Stealing away poor migrants from the fat cat big, low/no tax, business employers they were mean’t to serve, on a minimum wage and long hours.