Nine people are set to face the courts after a massive drugs bust in the Manawatu region

Police say an operation involving Manawatu Police, the National Organised Crime Group and the Police Asset Recovery Unit has resulted in the dismantling of a sophisticated criminal operation centred in Shannon.

Assets worth an estimated $3 million including 37 high-performance vehicles and five properties, along with around $210,000 in cash, have been rseized

Police have also recovered three firearms including an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and a shotgun.