Court documents state that two consignments of the drug were sent from overseas to his address, with his phone number attached, in August 2023.
They also say Va’a’s involvement in the scheme “does not appear particularly sophisticated”.
The drugs were concealed in boxes containing vacuum sealing equipment.
The total amount of methamphetamine involved was 49.43kg.
Va’a provided a Customs “client code” – issued to commercial importers to assist Customs clearances – and communicated with Customs and a logistics company to keep track of where the consignments were.
At one point, he sent a text saying: “Just want to make sure I’m home to catch it”.
The text was one of the few left on his phone when police caught up with him. He had erased the others.
He had also tried to delete communications with a man known as Pako Brendo, a pseudonym for the person under whose direction Va’a was working.
Va’a had a business that failed about two years before the importation and the court was told he was facing “cultural pressure” to provide for family members.
Va’a was first charged in the Manukau District Court in August 2023 and eventually pleaded guilty to the charge in January 2025.
He was sentenced in May and subsequently appealed to the Court of Appeal, arguing the prison sentence was too long.
The Court of Appeal dismissed that challenge.
Motivated by financial gain
“Mr Va’a admits he was motivated by financial gain, given his failing business and financial problems,” the Court of Appeal justices said in the recently released decision.
“He expected to receive $100,000 for his role in the operation.
“While modest in comparison with the expected commercial profit of the importation, this was still a significant sum.”
In a letter to the court, Va’a said he was deeply remorseful and he had let down his whole family.
He also acknowledged the impact of methamphetamine use on the Pacific Island community.
“I am disappointed, disgusted and ashamed [of] my actions,” he said.
He said his family had cut him off and the conviction would have an impact on his plan to move his family to Australia to seek better lives.
However, the sentencing court judge concluded that this was not “true remorse” and the Court of Appeal justices agreed.
“The remorse expected was focused on the circumstances Mr Va’a found himself in and the consequences of his conviction for himself,” the Court of Appeal decision said.
“It came very late and only when he finally realised the gravity of the offending and the impact of his incarceration on his family.”
Although Va’a was working under Pako Brendo’s direction, he played an “operational and active part” in the drug’s importation, the appeal court said.
He had the consignments sent to him personally, made key arrangements with the logistics company, used his Customs “client code” to monitor when the shipments would be cleared, and probably would have been involved with unpacking the vacuum sealers if not for the police action.
Ric Stevens spent many years working for the former New Zealand Press Association news agency, including as a political reporter at Parliament, before holding senior positions at various daily newspapers. He joined NZME’s Open Justice team in 2022 and is based in Hawke’s Bay. His writing in the crime and justice sphere is informed by four years of frontline experience as a probation officer.
