Three Queenstown-based men involved in an international ecstasy importing syndicate have been jailed.
Judge Brian Callaghan said in Invercargill District Court today it was believed drugs with a street value of up to $310,000 were brought into New Zealand during a three month-period between June 2009 and September 2009.
The drugs, which originated in Canada, were either sent by mail to people who allowed their addresses to be used, or brought in by human couriers, who swallowed pellets of ecstasy before their departure from Vancouver and excreted them once they arrived in Auckland.
Benjamin Robert Briggs, 29, described as the ringleader of the New Zealand side of the operation, earlier admitted 10 charges including importing, conspiring to import, producing and supplying ecstasy.
Mathew Charlton Lile, 22, admitted four charges of importing and one charge of conspiring to import the drug and Rueben Paul Aberdeen, 26, who allowed his address to be used to send drugs to, admitted two charges of importing and one of possession of cannabis.
The police summary of facts said that around the beginning of 2009 there was a noticeable increase in the availability of ecstasy in Queenstown.
Judge Callaghan said during a sophisticated police investigation, which began in September 2009, it was discovered Briggs, Lile and others were part of an international syndicate with links to Sydney, Bali and Vancouver.
They had a supplier in Canada and were involved in posting the drugs in CDs, record covers and maple syrup bottles to New Zealand addresses.
On occasions the drug was brought in by human couriers, including Lile. Two female couriers from Australia were also arranged to bring ecstasy into New Zealand, although they never went through with it.
When Canadian authorities refused to allow drugs to be knowingly exported from the country, New Zealand police decided to end the operation and eight arrest warrants were issued on September 30 and executed in Queenstown, Oamaru, Dunedin and Christchurch.
The extent of the importing syndicate was unravelled after that.
Judge Callaghan said he believed Lile was a big part of the operation even though he faced fewer charges than Briggs.
"It is clear to me that Mr Briggs decided to take a step up to the more serious offending -- Lile was part of that." He had arranged the supplier in Canada and had travelled there. But Briggs, who had also produced ecstasy, supplied it and offered to supply it, was more culpable, the judge said.
He sentenced Aberdeen, whose offending was at the "tail end" of the operation, to a total of two years, eight months' jail.
Briggs received four years, three months' jail (correct) and was ordered to forfeit $2500 in cash, while Lile was sentenced to a total of four years, five months' (correct) jail.
