A New Zealand tourism operator has been unmasked as a suspected mastermind behind a ‘sophisticated cannabis-growing operation.’ Michael Kevin Milne, owner of the Cowboy Paradise wild-west themed destination, is accused of growing and selling large quantities of cannabis and stockpiling firearms in an underground bunker.
He was arrested in 2019 but has only just been publically identified after a name suppression order expired. After his arrest police seized about NZ$5 million in assets.
Cowboy Paradise includes a shooting range, accommodation and a saloon, and had plans to build an entire western town with bars, restaurants and more accommodation. Cowboy Paradise is an accommodation provider for the West Coast Wilderness Trail.
