14 years for $3.5 million meth mover, moneycounter

AUCKLAND: An Auckland woman who carried $3.5 million in cash in suitcases in the country’s biggest known methamphetamine operation has been jailed for 14 and ahalf years.

The 29yearold, who cannot be named, was in charge of counting and delivering the money and coordinating drug drop offs throughout Auckland in 2016.

She appeared for sentencing in the High Court at Auckland yesterday after pleading guilty to two charges of supplying methamphetamine and one of supplying cocaine earlier this year.

Using coded messages, the woman arranged for her cooffenders to drop off and pick up methamphetamine.

In one drop off, almost 15kg of meth was handed over in Manurewa’s Totara Park in a sports bag and in another 9kg was left in a car parked on the side of Dominion Rd.

The meth was traced back to a boat that washed up on Ninety Mile Beach in Northland in June, 2016, with more than 500kg of the class A drug aboard, worth $150 million — the biggest meth seizure in New Zealand.

Crown prosecutor Nick Webby said while the woman was not the operation’s kingpin, she played an important role.

Justice Palmer began his sentencing by saying those who dealt meth caused and profited from human misery.

He said while the woman was not leading the operation, she was a trusted communication link and ‘‘more than a minor cog in the operation’’.

‘‘You appear to have ignored the human misery you caused.’’

Two other figures involved in the importation of the meth have been sentenced to more than 20 years’ jail.

Appearing in the Whangarei High Court on Monday, Ulakai Fakaosilea and Jeremiah Iusitini were sentenced to 22 years and nine months’ and 25 years and seven months’ jail respectively. — RNZ/NZME