His arrest came after a campervan containing more than 400kg of meth was stopped at Totara North near Kaitaia in June.
The campervan was stopped hours after a boat was found abandoned on Ninety Mile Beach.
The boat is linked to the campervan and what was found to be the biggest meth haul in New Zealand history.
Seven men were also arrested and have pleaded not guilty to a raft of charges and elected trial by jury. They come back to court in February.
The only thing bigger than the actual drug bust was the series of mistakes that led to police finding the meth.
This was a drug deal that went very, very wrong.
So, 12 years for possessing this huge amount of meth?
The Whangarei Loop attacker who was high on P when he sexually assaulted a jogger was sentenced to 12 years.
Two P dealers described as "prolific" were last month jailed for 10 years and eight months, and 12 years nine months respectively.
They were on electronically monitored bail at the time, and the amounts of P were nowhere near the Ninety Mile Beach haul.
Given the high degree of security in the Whangarei High Court yesterday, and the drop from the starting point of 30 years in jail to 12, it is not hard to assume that this young man has co-operated with police who will be keen to see convictions and heavy sentences of the remaining seven.
Which is why he needs protecting - it seems he was a small fish swimming in a big pool, and there are bigger fish still to be fried.
