According to Otago Daily Times
Police have been accused of targeting “everyday Kiwis” during recent armed raids to seize firearms on rural South Island properties.
On Thursday, the subject of the latest of the “shocking” raids was former Dunedin man Adam Mielnik (37), now a farm manager near Ashburton.
Mr Mielnik’s uncle Paul Mielnik, of Brockville, alerted the Otago Daily Times to the “heavy-handed” raid yesterday, expressing concerns they could also occur in Otago and Southland.
The raid is the second of its type to come to light recently, following a firearms seizure on a west Christchurch lifestyle block on April 2, reportedly involving 30 armed officers.
In the latest incident, father-of-two Adam Mielnik said he had returned to the family home for his regular noon lunch break with partner Tara, when “seven or eight” police cars sped up his driveway and blocked potential exits.
His immediate shock was compounded when 14 police officers, more than half of whom were armed with semi-automatic rifles and side-arms, left the vehicles and spread out across his front yard.
A dog unit was also present, and backed up two plain-clothes detectives who approached his front door to speak to him.