A Kaikoura man's been charged for his alleged role in the large-scale scamming of Kiwis through text messages

The investigation was part of Internal Affairs' "Operation Cargo", targeting a large network of scammers.

It's seen reports of scam messaging drop by 80-percent.

A search warrant saw a large number of SIM cards, high amounts of cash, and multiple devices seized.

Police are welcoming the charges -- calling it a successful example of inter-agency efforts.