A $2.5 million meth ring run by ex-pat Nigerians was smashed after police turned their drug mule against them, a court has heard.
The trial against seven defendants accused of various levels of importing the class-A drug began in the High Court at Auckland this morning.
Ugochukwa Okpara, Nancy Leefe, Whetu Leefe, Nnamdi Iwu, Hyacaith Ochibulu, David Obiaga and Trevor Miranda were arrested weeks after the latter flew into Auckland Airport from a "holiday" in Papua New Guinea on November 13, 2013.
It is alleged 69-year-old Miranda arrived after five days in Port Moresby and immediately raised the suspicions of Customs officers who questioned him.
"He said he didn't do anything but stayed in his hotel room and went to church . . . he couldn't explain why he chose there," Crown prosecutor Yelena Yelavich said.
A search of his luggage found 1kg of methamphetamine in a panel of a trolley suitcase and 500g in a backpack he had been carrying.
After police spoke with him, Miranda agreed to deliver the drugs as had been arranged, Ms Yelavich said.
Meanwhile, police obtained a warrant through the High Court which allowed them to intercept the defendant's communications.
It is alleged he received a call from Palmerston North-based 36-year-old Iwu shortly after his arrival.
The pair arranged to do the handover outside New World supermarket in Mt Roskill on November 16 but after several hours Miranda left the scene and went back to his home nearby.
Police had simultaneously been tracking the phone calls of Iwu and Ms Yelavich said they showed he had become nervous about the meeting.
Three days later, they tried again.
The Crown said the new plan was to meet outside another supermarket in Mangere Bridge.
Mark Hughes, who was originally charged as part of the group but is not facing trial, and Whetu Leefe -- allegedly under instructions from his mother Nancy Leefe -- were responsible for checking Miranda was not being watched.
When they were satisfied that was the case, Hughes went up to him to complete the handover, but he was not told the code word.
Eventually the bungled handover took place, Ms Yelavich said, and the bags were given to David Obiaga.
After driving around South Auckland he stopped in an Air New Zealand car park, hid the contents of the bag in one bush and the bags themselves in another.
After three days wait, police removed the luggage containing the hidden drugs thinking the men may not return but only an hour later Obiaga arrived with Iwu, Okpara and Ochibulu.
After Obiaga could not find the haul it is alleged the others made threats against his family in Nigeria.
Over the next couple of weeks the police investigation uncovered two packages, containing 1kg of meth, which they also connected to the men.
The trial before Justice Susan Thomas is expected to last six weeks.
- Rob Kidd of NZME. News Service
