Prison for women dealers

Two women who admitted to drug dealing have been sentenced to prison.
Laura Elizabeth Tate and Aysha McDonald pleaded guilty to multiple charges of supplying and offering to supply methamphetamine and offering to sell cannabis.
Both were caught during Operation Penny, a national police drug recovery and eradication operation in February this year.
A key part of the operation was property searches in Whangarei and Kaipara.
Intelligence was gathered through information on cellphones. A number of suspects identified were either members of gangs or had gang links.
As a result of the nature and extent of drug dealing identified, Northland police instigated Operation Arabia.
McDonald acknowledged contents of her cellphone communications relating to offering to supply methamphetamine to associates.
Her lawyer Dave Sayes said home detention was appropriate, given that the amount of drug dealing was small.
However, Judge Brooke Gibson sentenced her to 20 months' imprisonment.
For Tate, police learned that between December 20, 2009, and February 11, 2010, she committed a number of drug deals.
Judge Gibson sentenced her to 18 months on all charges.