'Smell of cannabis' reveals alleged Dunedin dealer's drug stash

A Dunedin man is facing charges after police found drugs and cash in his car during a traffic stop on Thursday night.

Officers stopped a vehicle driving around Dunedin's student quarter about 10.30pm. Hundreds of students were celebrating Re-O' Week - the start of the second semester - in the area.

Senior Sergeant Adelle Williams said officers searched the car after being "greeted by the smell of cannabis wafting from the car".

"As a result, police located and seized amounts of cocaine, MDMA, ketamine, cannabis and a large quantity of cash."

The majority of the drugs were already divided, packaged and ready for sale, Williams said.

"The amount of social harm this could have caused is significant. I am really pleased that we were able to intercept this before it got into the hands of people in our community."

A 26-year-old man was due in Dunedin District Court on Friday charged with possessing various drugs for supply.

The maximum sentence for possessing a class A drug for supply is life imprisonment.

"Police will continue to work hard to disrupt the supply of drugs in our communities, and we urge anyone with information on, or suspicions of, this type of offending to please contact us," Williams said.