An Auckland man has been jailed for nearly three and a half years for possessing a class-B drug but it could have been longer had a charge of money laundering worth $500,000 not been dropped.
Chengzhi Zheng, 30, appeared in Manukau District Court today after being caught in June with 855gm of pseudoephedrine -- enough to make about $250,000 of methamphetamine.
The sting came about after the police's Asian Organised Crime Unit received notification of 10 "suspicious transactions" remitting money back to China.
Court documents alleged the total value of the transactions -- all in "loose cash" -- came to $502,774.
During the police raided at the defendant's Golflands house, they found two large ziplock bags containing the pseudoephedrine in his wardrobe.
Police charged Zheng with possession of a class-B drug for supply and money laundering.
The latter charge was dropped by the Crown even though police found further remittance documents showing he had sent back $48,000 during one week in May.
When Zheng sent the money it was alleged he said to the teller it was to repay a loan he had taken out in China.
He initially told police he had been looking after the drugs for a friend who had paid him $1000 but since then had been more forthcoming during questioning.
The court heard how Zheng had been interviewed while on remand and told police about the entire operation, including his role and those of others.
Despite only providing information police already knew, Judge Christopher Field allowed him a 10 per cent discount for his assistance.
The credit also took into account the difficulty Zheng would have adjusting to prison life as a non-English speaker.
The Chinese national was jailed for three years five months and would likely be deported on completion of his sentence.
Meanwhile, a Scottish man was also jailed at Manukau District Court today after being caught by Customs attempting to import a "smorgasbord" of illicit drugs.
He was sentenced to four years imprisonment after admitting smuggling class A, B and C drugs, including methamphetamine and ecstasy, into the country.