Baggage handlers charged after airport meth bust
ACREW of Air New Zealand baggage handlers have been arrested for allegedly helping someone avoid border security checks and smuggle drugs into the country during the Covid19 lockdown.
Four men who work at Auckland International Airport were jointly charged with a local rap musician of importing $8 million worth of methamphetamine in May.
The offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
In what is believed to be the first prosecution of its kind in the country, the Customs investigation will allege the Air New Zealand staff were involved in a drugsmuggling tactic referred to overseas as ‘‘rip on, rip off’’.
For the method to work, drug importers need ‘‘inside’’ men or women at both ends of the flight.
In order to bypass Xray machines and other security measures, a baggage handler is needed to surreptitiously load the bag of drugs into the plane among other checkedin luggage.
Alternatively, unsuspecting travellers get an extra bag tagged to their luggage allowance. Either way, this is the ‘‘rip on’’.
Once the plane lands, another baggage handler on the tarmac removes the drugladen luggage before it can be checked. This is the ‘‘rip off’’.
In the case currently before the Manukau District Court, the four Air New Zealand baggage handlers were arrested after $8 million worth of methamphetamine was found in Auckland International Airport.
A red flag was raised when a 25yearold man travelled to the United States on May 2 — when New Zealand was under Level 3 restrictions — and returned from Los Angeles five days later.
Suspicious of his travel movements given the global pandemic, Customs officials searched his black carryon suitcase and discovered 20kg of methamphetamine.
Romney Fuki Fukofuka (25) was charged with possession of a class A drug to supply and importation of a class A drug. The Mangere resident listed his occupation as musician and raps under the stage name of Konecs.
Court documents reveal Fukofuka was also charged with conspiracy to import methamphetamine between March and his arrest on May 7.
This alleged offence relates specifically to five packages stopped by the United States Customs Border Protection agency, which concealed a total of 15kg of methamphetamine.
Fukofuka was arrested with Sese Vimahi, a 44yearold baggage handler, and jointly charged with allegedly importing the 20kg of methamphetamine discovered in the airport on May 7.
Customs continued to investigate and one week later, three more Air New Zealand loaders were jointly charged with the same offence: Daniel John Ah Hong (26), Mark Anthony Castillo (23) and George Aloha Taukolo (29).
A fifth man with interim name suppression was also charged with importing a class A drug.
All have pleaded not guilty to the charges and will appear again in the Manukau District Court next month.
None of the baggage handlers have been at work since the airline became aware of the charges, Air New Zealand chief operational integrity and safety officer Captain David Morgan said.
By the end of October, all but one of the baggage handlers would no longer be employed by Air New Zealand.
‘‘The remaining person’s bail provisions do not allow them to contact Air New Zealand,’’ Capt Morgan said.
‘‘Air New Zealand has a strict code of conduct. We take any allegations of this kind extremely seriously and have zero tolerance for any behaviour that is found to breach our code of conduct.’’
Capt Morgan said Air New Zealand employees were encouraged to call a confidential ‘‘Speak Up’’ line, which operated 24/7, to report any suspected inappropriate, unethical or illegal behaviour.
As the matter was before the court, Customs investigations manager Bruce Berry was unable to discuss the specifics of the investigation or arrests.
Speaking generally on ‘‘insider threats’’, Mr Berry said organised crime relied on subverting people and processes to smuggle illicit goods through borders.
‘‘Whether it’s passengers or cargo, organised crime is incredibly agile and always looking for ways to exploit chinks in the armour,’’ Mr Berry said.
‘‘Internationally, insider threats have been around as long as trading posts. But as New Zealand is such an attractive market now, we’re starting to see sophisticated criminal techniques being applied here.’’
The prosecution of the Air New Zealand baggage handlers comes soon after the Herald on Sunday revealed a supervisor at the Ports of Auckland helped shift a suspicious container off the wharf in the middle of the night.
In scenes reminiscent of the popular television crime series The Wire, the container was loaded on to the back of the truck at the port at 1am, soon after it had been flagged for inspection by Customs.
The container purportedly held 24 air compressors from Thailand, and Customs wanted to take a closer look at the contents, as the company which imported the freight was set up by a member of the Mongols motorcycle gang recently deported from Australia.
Police and Customs believe a significant amount of drugs was hidden inside, and detectives from the National Organised Crime Group are still investigating the ‘‘suspicious circumstances’’ in which the container was taken.
New Zealand has a reputation for being one of the least corrupt countries in the world.
However, in Mr Berry’s opinion, the arrest of the port supervisor and the recent prosecution of a police officer for leaking sensitive information to a gang show law enforcement and industry cannot be complacent to the threat posed by organised crime.
‘‘This kind of corruption is not unheard of internationally but New Zealand has been isolated from it for a long time.’’ — The New Zealand Herald