Daktory raided following global media attention

Police seize an empty vending machine from the Daktory

While the Truth Weekender broke the story of a vending machine allegedly selling cannabis from the Daktory in Auckland on February 24, it took a few weeks before the rest of the media picked up the story.

But when they did the story became the fourth most read story on Stuff.co.nz, then went big in the Australian news media as well as the international media following a report from AFP.

As a result of the media attention the Daktory was raided the next day and the vending machine taken away, despite it being empty at the time.

A 45-year-old Dutch woman, a 20-year-old man from Namibia and two New Zealand men aged 20 and 28 were arrested on charges of possessing cannabis, possession for supply, possessing utensils and allowing their premises to be used for a crime under the Misuse of Drugs Act (1975).

Operating capital of $27,000 was also frozen in the raid leaving the Daktory virtually bankrupted.

All of the "Daktory 4" have vowed to fight their charges until they are free to use cannabis legally in New Zealand.