Another man arrested as part of Operation Vintage died by suicide a year after his arrest. A prosecution summary of facts revealed 45-year-old Clinton Lee Forman, of Cromwell, was allegedly cultivating "large numbers" of cannabis plants on various plots around Haast and Westland. From two of the plots, police seized 88 plants with an expected yield of more than $68,000. Forman was arrested in April 2023 and faced 19 charges, which later sparked police proceedings to restrain his home and vehicle under proceeds-of-crime legislation. His father told a later coronial inquiry the man’s mental health declined "sharply" after becoming aware of the civil proceedings.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 25, 2026 18:00 UTC