Meth dealers jailed after police sting
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THREE men will spend years in jail after trafficking up to $1.3m worth of the drug ice in Glenorchy and Gagebrook, sourced from a supplier simply known as “old mate”.
David Hau Moeakiola, Alani Povalu Moeakiola and Ryan Edward Brown were sprung by Tasmania Police in a task force dubbed “Operation Gold”, which unveiled their meth ads on Snapchat and a drug-dealing location called “the shed”.
On Friday, Supreme Court judge Gregory Geason said an average of 49 people a day visited “the shed”, with some buying drugs by putting money through a hole in the wall.
He said Brown obtained the methylamphetamine from “old mate”, with the Moeakiola brothers providing it to others to on-sell.
The judge said police took snapshots of the Snapchat account advertising the drug and tapped a number of phone calls during the lengthy investigation.
“The business was relatively well organised and structured, involving at least seven people,” Justice Geason said.
“But for the fact you were caught, this business would have continued.”
Justice Geason said prosecutors conceded they couldn’t confirm exactly how much the men made from the trafficking scheme, in which they distributed between 80 to 100 ounces of ice, but could have been as high as $1.3m if sold in small quantities.
The men each pleaded guilty to trafficking in a controlled substance from August 2018 to June 2019.
Justice Geason said Brown, a father of six, had “acknowledged the stupidity of (his) action”.
“While you were not directly involved in selling, your role in sourcing … was critical to the operation,” he said.
Brown was jailed for four years and eight months, with a non-parole period of three years.
Brothers Alani, 31, and David, 34, were each jailed for five years, with non-parole periods of three-and-a-half years.
“Greed was a significant motivation,” Justice Geason said.
“All of you knew what you were doing and you understood the risks of it.”
More than $20,000 seized from the men in drug money will be forfeited to the state.
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