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| NZ police hold 17 in terror raids | NZ police hold 17 in terror raids |
| (28 minutes later) | |
| New Zealand police have arrested 17 people and seized a number of weapons during a series of anti-terror raids. | New Zealand police have arrested 17 people and seized a number of weapons during a series of anti-terror raids. |
| More than 300 police were involved in the operation, reportedly targeting Maori sovereignty and environmental activists - not foreign groups. | |
| Police Commissioner Howard Broad said those arrested had used firearms and other weapons at military-style training camps. | Police Commissioner Howard Broad said those arrested had used firearms and other weapons at military-style training camps. |
| Among those held was the prominent Maori rights campaigner, Tame Iti. | Among those held was the prominent Maori rights campaigner, Tame Iti. |
| The North Island raids were the first use of the country's Terrorism Suppression Act. | The North Island raids were the first use of the country's Terrorism Suppression Act. |
| The people targeted were from "a range of motivations" and from various ethnicities, the police chief said. | The people targeted were from "a range of motivations" and from various ethnicities, the police chief said. |
| "Based on the information and the activity known to have taken place, I decided it was prudent that action should be taken in the interests of public safety," Mr Broad said. | "Based on the information and the activity known to have taken place, I decided it was prudent that action should be taken in the interests of public safety," Mr Broad said. |
| Months of planning | Months of planning |
| Armed police raided camps in the eastern Bay of Plenty, as well as a number of addresses in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Palmerston North and Hamilton, police said. | Armed police raided camps in the eastern Bay of Plenty, as well as a number of addresses in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Palmerston North and Hamilton, police said. |
| Media reports said the raids came after months of work by anti-terror police, with evidence gathered from hundreds of hours of recordings from bugged conversations, video surveillance, and tapped mobile phone calls and text messages. | Media reports said the raids came after months of work by anti-terror police, with evidence gathered from hundreds of hours of recordings from bugged conversations, video surveillance, and tapped mobile phone calls and text messages. |
| One of the videos reportedly showed a military-style training exercise with live ammunition being fired in mountainous terrain. | One of the videos reportedly showed a military-style training exercise with live ammunition being fired in mountainous terrain. |
| New Zealand's Prime Minister Helen Clark said she was briefed on the planned police raids last week. | New Zealand's Prime Minister Helen Clark said she was briefed on the planned police raids last week. |
| Asked if she was surprised by the police information, she said: "Yes and no. Surprised at the scale and numbers of people involved". | Asked if she was surprised by the police information, she said: "Yes and no. Surprised at the scale and numbers of people involved". |
| Tame Iti made headlines last month when he went to Fiji to offer support to coup leader Voreqe Bainimarama. | Tame Iti made headlines last month when he went to Fiji to offer support to coup leader Voreqe Bainimarama. |