Three men are before the courts after two serious assaults in Westport on Wednesday 29 October.
The first assault occurred on Wednesday evening, when the male victim was allegedly lured to an address by a man known to him and was subsequently assaulted by two other men at the address.
The victim has then managed to leave the address and sought medical treatment for his injuries.
Later the same evening, the three alleged offenders travelled to another Westport address, where they assaulted a second male victim.
The second victim suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to hospital in Greymouth.
On Friday West Coast CIB, along with the Public Safety Team and Offender Prevention Team, executed search warrants at three Westport properties.
As a result, all three alleged offenders were located and taken into custody.
A 55-year-old man has been charged with threatening to kill, wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and injuring with intent.
A 26-year-old man has been charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and injuring with intent.
They are both due to appear in Greymouth District Court on Saturday 1 November.
A 33-year-old man has been charged with threatening to kill, wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and injuring with intent.
He has been remanded on bail and is due to reappear in Westport District Court on Thursday 6 November.
Police are not seeking anyone else in relation to this matter.
Wastewater testing in Westport has revealed significantly elevated levels of methamphetamine, with usage rates now exceeding the national average.
Recent data from the National Drugs in Wastewater Programme shows that methamphetamine use in Westport has doubled over the past year, reaching an average of 1181 mg per day per 1000 people, compared to the national average of 1165 mg/day/1000 people. This places Westport among the highest meth-consuming communities in New Zealand, with levels twice that of nearby Greymouth, which averaged 349 mg/day/1000 people.
Westport’s meth use surged between May 2024 and April 2025, based on samples analyzed by the National Drug Intelligence Bureau.
Cocaine use was also detected, though at lower levels — Westport averaged 8 mg/day/1000 people, compared to 24.5 mg in Hokitika and 20.6 mg in Greymouth.
The NZ Drug Foundation has called for urgent action, noting that national meth consumption in late 2024 was more than double the previous year’s weekly average.
The social harm cost of meth use across New Zealand is estimated at $20 million per week, with annual usage equating to $1 billion.
Wastewater testing doesn’t detect meth in drinking water — it measures drug metabolites in sewage to estimate community-level consumption. So while meth isn’t in the tap water, the findings reflect widespread use and deep social impact in Westport and surrounding areas.