Seven appear in court on cocaine, P charges after North Island drug raids

Seven defendants appeared in the Tauranga District Court yesterday.

Seven people have appeared in court facing allegations by police they were part of a drug syndicate involved in importing hundreds of kilos of cocaine into New Zealand from Mexico.

The defendants appeared in the Tauranga District Court on April 29, most via an audiovisual link from the Rotorua police custody remand hub.

They were among eight people arrested in raids by police and Customs staff around the North Island earlier in the day.

Te Kaha fisherman Tangaroa David Demant, 57, faced joint charges of importing cocaine, conspiring with others to import cocaine and manufacture P, and also the possession of methamphetamine for supply.

Rotorua carver Tama Waitai, 34, faces five joint charges of importing cocaine, conspiring with others to import cocaine and manufacture P and possessing P for supply.

Jeffrey Maraenui Gear, 43, from Ngongotahā, faced two joint counts of conspiring with other defendants to manufacture P and possession of the drug for supply.

Manuel Moreno Gonzalez, 62, from Mount Albert, also faced joint charges of possession of methamphetamine for supply in Auckland together with four of the other defendants.

He appeared in court via an audiovisual link from the Auckland police station.

Angel Gabriel Gavito Alvarado, 26, of Ōmokoroa faced three joint charges: possession of P for supply, and two counts of importing cocaine into New Zealand.

Builder James Bradley Dickson, 38, of Rotorua faced two joint counts of importing cocaine into New Zealand on December 27, 2020, and February 2 this year.

Maurice Oliver Swinton, of Te Puke, faced a joint charge of conspiring with Tangaroa Demant, Tama Waitai, and another man in Rotorua to import cocaine into New Zealand.

Judge Stephen Coyle remanded all seven defendants to May 28 when he said pleas would be expected in relation to their respective charges.

Five of the defendants were remanded in custody and two were granted bail with strict conditions including surrendering their passports and regularly reporting to the police.

According to a media statement, Police and New Zealand Customs personnel carried out search warrants at 11 properties early yesterday throughout the wider Bay of Plenty, Northland and Auckland regions.

Operation Tarpon, run by the police's National Organised Crime Group, targeted alleged players of a drug syndicate operating in the country with links to Mexico.

Ten properties were searched including addresses in Rotorua, Te Puke, Ōmokoroa, Te Kaha, Mount Albert and Auckland CBD.

Police also said a boat moored in Northland was searched.

More than 100 police and Customs staff, including Armed Offenders Squad members and the police clandestine laboratory team, were involved in executing the search warrants.

Police allege those arrested were involved in conspiring to import a large quantity of cocaine and methamphetamine into New Zealand via shipping containers.

Police further allege that some of the group imported a small quantity of cocaine from their central American contacts to sell and distribute the drugs in New Zealand.