Tauranga P bust: Men caught smuggling millions of dollars worth of meth at port

Some of the drug packages found onboard container ship Southern Moana. Photo / Customs

Two Fijian seamen described as "naive" drug mules have been jailed for importing millions of dollars worth of methamphetamine by hiding it on a container ship at the Port of Tauranga.

Noa Grantham Turuva Kunaqoro, 31, ordinary seaman and Taniela Delaisavui Molidegei, 33, able seamen, were arrested after numerous packages of drugs were found hidden in bags in various parts of the container ship Southern Moana.

Customs officers founda hidden stash of 34kg of methamphetamine during a search of the vessel after it arrived from Fiji on November 18 last year.

They also seized about $10,000.

The Fijian seamen were sentenced in Tauranga District Court this week October 13 after earlier pleading guilty to charges of importing methamphetamine into New Zealand and possession of the drug for supply.

Molidegei pleaded guilty to importing 21.09kg of methamphetamine. Given the purity of the drugs the stash was likely to be valued at between $6 million and $21m , the court heard.

Kunaqoro admitted he helped stash the drugs on the ship and imported 3.09kg worth of methamphetamine valued at somewhere between $3.9m and up to about $13m.

The charges each attract a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Crown prosecutor Justine Sutton sought a jail sentence starting at 15 years for Molidegei and 10 years for Kunaqoro because of his lesser role before discounts were allowed for guilty pleas, remorse, co-operation and mitigating factors.

Sutton told Judge Thomas Ingram the Crown accepted modest discounts should also be given to recognise the defendants came from impoverished backgrounds on hardship grounds.

She said the Crown accepted they would have a more difficult time in prison because their English skills were not good and because of the lack of family support in New Zealand.

Molidegei's lawyer Rebekah Webby said the Crown's sentence starting point was too high,
and should be 13 years.

She urged Judge Ingram to accept her client's role was simply as a "naive mule" to help get the drugs from Fiji to New Zealand and "nothing more than that".

Webby said Molidegei was told to await further instructions about where to take the drugs on his arrival in Tauranga but he never received any.

She said her client's knowledge of the drug operation was "very limited" and his cultural background report painted a picture of Molidegei's impoverished background, which provided a reason why he was "naively tempted" to be a drug mule.

"This was all about him being able to better support his family."

Webby said her client had no prior convictions, and the ramifications of his offending would have significant impacts on him and his family.

Kunaqoro's lawyer Rachael Adams also urged Judge Ingram to take into account her client's "naivety".

Adams said Kunaqoro's involvement was "about as low level as can be" for this type of offending and even his family struggled to understand why he agreed to be a drug mule.

She said Kunaqoro's cultural background report confirmed he was "vulnerable to exploitation" and her client's expressions of remorse were "genuine and heartfelt".

Adams said those reasons alongside her client's limited English skills and distance from home meant he would also experience "extreme hardship" while in prison.

Judge Ingram said he had given "anxious consideration" to the appropriate sentence start points and any discounts that should be allowed.

"I'm satisfied Mr Molidegei was not a prime mover and his role was nothing more than as a mule to get money to support his family. His involvement was limited to getting the drugs stashed on the vessel and he was to get further instructions when he arrived here."

Judge Ingram said he also accepted Kunaqoro's role in the drug importation assignment was as a "naive drug mule" who agreed to do it to support his family.

Some of the drugs found stashed on the container ship Southern Moana. Photo / Customs

The judge said it was clear Kunaqoro's involvement was limited to bringing the drugs onto the ship in Fiji and then stashed them "under the direction of Molidegei".

"I accept both men come from poverty-stricken backgrounds and both were blinded by money, and both also have extensive family obligations."

However, Judge Ingram said nothing other than a jail sentence would ever be appropriate, particularly given drugs were likely to be valued at tens of millions of dollars if sold.

Judge Ingram said he accepted the defence lawyers' assessments the appropriate starting point for Molidegei was 13 years' prison, and 10 years for Kunaqoro.

He also took into account the defendants' expressions of remorse, which he accepted were genuine, co-operation with Customs officers and their previous good characters.

The judge also took into account the "very considerable" impacts on the defendant's families, their limited English skills, and the lack of family support in New Zealand.

Judge Ingram sentenced Molidegei to six and a half years' imprisonment and Kunaqoro to five years' imprisonment and also ordered the forfeiture of the cash seized.