Aratema Ryan Moke used an alias to jump on a flight from Auckland to Christchurch, where he broke into a shipping container looking for 26 kilograms of cocaine.
Moke was sentenced via AVL in the High Court in Christchurch on Tuesday.
According to the summary of facts, a Maersk shipping container arrived at the Port of Tauranga on March 14 last year.
There were at least 26 kilograms of cocaine concealed within the front two pillars of the container, along with a Samsung Galaxy smart tag used for tracking.
The container was inspected by customs, cleared during an inspection process, and departed Tauranga on March 18 for Lyttelton where it arrived on March 22.
The container had come from Ecuador on February 17 and contained bananas.
Between March 27 and 29, the Wigram yard was subject to four burglaries in which the shipping container was targeted.
Moke arrived at Christchurch Domestic Airport at 10.45pm on March 27 and broke into the yard with another person at 12.40am the following day.
They left after 18 minutes and returned at 2.08am, carrying a bag.
The pair used an angle grinder while lying on the top of the container for 45 minutes where they cut a hole in the pillar to access a cavity.
Moke and another person returned at 11.59pm that day, again carrying a bag and cutting tools.
They used an angle grinder, standing in front of the container, to cut a hole in another pillar to access a cavity.
Two others joined them at 12.59am on March 29 where the group spent more than two hours at the address before leaving with two sports bags containing cocaine.
Moke and three others returned to the yard at 5pm that day where they used a shovel to take 22 one kg cocaine “bricks” from a pillar they had cut during the previous burglary.
However, they were disturbed by yard staff who called police.
Moke flew out of Christchurch, bound for Auckland the following day, again under the alias Ben Dover.
Justice Rachel Dunningham, in sentencing Moke on charges of participating in an organised criminal group, burglary and possession of cocaine, said it was a sophisticated and long effort to extract drugs from the container.
Justice Dunningham said Moke had addictions that led to financial issues, which had contributed to his involvement.
With a starting point of 15 years and six months, he was given a 25% discount for guilty pleas, 10% for rehabilitative efforts and 12% for background and addiction issues.
“Your addiction was a cause and contributor; your addiction and financial stress rendered you vulnerable,” Justice Dunningham said.
Moke was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment.
