Smuggler’s deception attempts a failure

Leigh Thomas thought he could throw officials off the scent by labelling the packages addressed to him as containing toys, cellphone packaging samples and phone accessories.

A drug smuggler’s attempts to fool authorities by mislabelling packages containing his illegal loot were unsuccessful.

Leigh James Thomas was importing methamphetamine, cocaine, ecstasy and precursors and equipment to make P.

He thought he could throw officials off the scent by labelling the packages addressed to him as containing toys, cellphone packaging samples and phone accessories. But he was wrong. In the Palmerston North District Court on Monday he was jailed for three years and 11 months after admitting a slew of drug importation charges.

According to a court summary, Thomas imported packages into New Zealand from various countries during a four-month period in 2015.

The packages were addressed to three different Himatangi Beach properties that Thomas had connections to.

He imported 52.76 grams of methamphetamine, 1.06g of cocaine, 22 ecstasy tablets and 202g of red phosphorus acid.

Police estimated that was enough acid to make 282g of methamphetamine.

He also tried to import laboratory equipment typically used to make methamphetamine.

Police raided the three Himatangi Beach houses in March 2016, finding Thomas in one of them.

He grabbed his laptop and poured liquid on it when he heard what police were doing, in an effort to destroy evidence.

But this failed, with a police analysis of the laptop finding evidence that Thomas had searched for methamphetamine recipes and information about chemicals like pseudoephedrine and phosphorus, typically used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.

There was also evidence of searches for information about Tor networks and Bitcoins.

Tor networks are used to access the dark web, where people can buy drugs and other illegal substances, while Bitcoins are used to buy items over the dark web.

Also in the court on Monday, Johnny James Bolleboom was also sent to prison after he pleaded guilty to two charges of possession of methamphetamine for supply and one charge of supplying methamphetamine.

He was sentenced to three years and two months’ imprisonment.

According to a court summary, Bolleboom and his partner at the time, Mairi Louise Hutchings, went to Auckland twice to collect and sell methamphetamine.

On December 29, 2015, Bolleboom arranged to buy methamphetamine in Auckland. Text messages showed he tried to buy 85g of methamphetamine, but because he didn’t have enough money he only bought a third of this.

Further text messages showed he was involved in the on-selling of the P he bought.

Then on January 30, 2016 he flew to Auckland with Hutchings and bought 28g of methamphetamine, which they sold throughout the night at their hotel.

Bolleboom’s final charge came after he was stopped by police at 2am on February 2 in Taupo.

They discovered he was breaking his 24-hour bail curfew to his Palmerston North property and a further search of the vehicle saw police find 20.3g of methamphetamine in the car, with a street value of $15,000 to $18,000.

At the police station, a further search of found in Hutchings’ handbag found money stored separately and another 0.25g grams of methamphetamine.

Hutchings has pleaded guilty to supply and possession charges and will be sentenced in September.