Auckland car importer jailed after catching ‘tiger by the tail’
A driving infringement in a humble Nissan Tiida on a drug-running trip helped police unravel a massive cocaine and meth syndicate.
The Auckland District Court yesterday heard that a nationwide cartel funnelled cash in airline luggage, and stashed drugs in secret car compartments.
An Auckland car importer was yesterday jailed for his role in the conspiracy.
Judge David Sharp said the Auckland entrepreneur had “a tiger by the tail” after turning from legitimate businessman into multimillion-dollar drug racket member.
The man cannot be named while others are still before the courts. The hearing was held by audiovisual link.
Some of those arrested in a National Organised Crime Group operation still have cases before the courts, three years after covert investigations began.
Judge Sharp said the West Auckland man fell under the spell of an alleged drug boss.
Before long, he was a trusted lieutenant, handling suitcases holding hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The court heard the drug enterprise used modified car compartments to smuggle drugs.
Judge Sharp said the methamphetamine and cocaine scheme operated in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch before police raids in 2019.
The conspiracy started falling apart after police bugged the Auckland car business and pulled over the Nissan Tiida near Taupo¯.
After impounding the car for what was described in court only as an infringement, police found bags of methamphetamine.
About the same time, another syndicate member was taking meth from Auckland to Christchurch in a Mercedes-Benz.
Covert surveillance of the Auckland car importer’s premises tracked people ferrying cash and drugs.
After 10 months of surveillance, raids were carried out in Auckland, Canterbury and Southland in 2019. Police found large sums of cash. In one man’s car, $165,000 was found. At another location, police found $189,000, and at another alleged syndicate member’s house, $113,985 was discovered.
But those amounts were dwarfed by the amounts flown around New Zealand before the raids.
Judge Sharp said one syndicate member flew from Christchurch to Auckland with $420,000, and another time with $640,000, which weighed 17.5kg.
Judge Sharp said the car importer deserved credit for guilty pleas, a limited criminal background, and rehabilitation efforts.
He was jailed for four years for meth supply, two years for money laundering, and one year for the crime group charge. The sentences are to be served concurrently.