Meth boat was ‘fishy’

A group of people trying to import methamphetamine via Ninety Mile Beach in 2016 looked fishy, according to an eyewitness.

A botched attempt to launch a boat off Northland’s rugged west coast was just part of the bizarre story behind New Zealand’s biggest meth bust.

In June 2016, police found 449 kilograms of meth in a campervan and uncovered a further 52kg buried in sand dunes on Ninety Mile Beach.

Six men pleaded guilty to charges related to their involvement in the import. Former bouncer Stevie Cullen and a relative of Jonah Lomu, Selaima Fakaosilea, were found guilty in June of importing meth and participating in an organised criminal group after a six-week trial in the High Court in Whanga¯ rei.

Yesterday, Cullen, a former Christchurch bouncer, was sentenced to 27 years in jail, with a minimum period of imprisonment of nine years.

Fakaosilea was sentenced to 12 years and six months, with a minimum period of seven years.

Fakaosilea is already serving 14 years and six months in prison for supplying meth and cocaine in September and November 2016 – charges that she pleaded guilty to in December 2018. This new sentence is to be served cumulatively, giving a total of 27 years.

An eyewitness to the group’s failed boat launch at Shipwreck Bay said the job seemed to be a comedy of errors.

Builder Jeff Smith said that on June 9, 2016, he was working on a house that looked down on to Shipwreck Bay.

When he saw what looked like a boat stuck in the sand, he decided to drive down to take a closer look.

But he was surprised to see the group with a large, heavy, fibreglass boat on the beach.

‘‘It was a comedy of errors, just trying to get such a big boat into the water,’’ Smith said.

By the time Smith arrived, the group had given up trying to launch through the swell, and were trying to get the boat on to dry land with the help of another local. The boat’s trailer was stuck in the sand, and Smith gave some advice while another tractor driver also came to help.

Smith was interested to hear one man – later identified as Stevie Cullen – saying ‘‘money is not a problem’’.

He also told Smith a story about the group scattering ashes at sea. ‘‘I got the sob story from Stevie Cullen about the bro’s ashes. I thought it was interesting because it was something that I wouldn’t mind happening to me in the future,’’ Smith said.

‘‘Stevie Cullen was the one calling the shots as far as I could tell. He was the one offering the money and telling the story.’’

Smith thought the group’s behaviour was so unusual he took several photographs of the stuck boat.

However, he did not get in contact with police until he read about the meth bust in a local newspaper.