Drug accused fight to keep names secret

Police say the syndicate manufactured tens of thousands of pills. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Leading figures in an alleged criminal syndicate which police say sold thousands of pills each week are fighting to keep their names secret, claiming publication would damage their reputations.

While many of those arrested in Operation Ark have already been named, lawyers for four defendants were successful in delaying a court hearing for keeping their identities protected.

Police arrested 22 people last month after a 12-month investigation into the manufacture, supply and distribution of Class B and C drugs. Detectives say the syndicate was the leader in the underground pill market and sold tens of thousands of tablets, which fetch at least $40 each.

About $14 million of assets were seized in the raids, including multi-million homes, up to $1 million cash and luxury cars.

The Crown and the Herald opposed name suppression in the Auckland District Court yesterday, but the hearing has been adjourned until December 19 for the arguments to be heard fully.

Until then, suppression orders protect the names and occupations of four of the accused, as well as associated business entities.

One is a 58-year-old man from Remuera. His lawyer, Chris Morris, told Judge Phil Gittos he sought ongoing suppression because of the negative effect publication would take on his client's young son.

Sally Trafford, of Shortland Chambers, was successful in seeking a third-party order to protect the identity of the man's former employer as it would be "commercially damaging for the firms to be implicated".

At the centre of the inquiry is a millionaire businessman who will also fight to keep his name secret. His $3 million home has been seized.

The suppression orders also protect two businesses connected to the 37-year-old company director.

A 30-year-old staff member also has suppression, to protect the business. If his boss fails to keep his own identity secret, the staff member's name would also be made public.

The trio face the most serious charges of manufacturing and supplying the Class-B drug MDMA, or Ecstasy, as well as similar Class-C drugs, such as 4-MEC, or mephedrone.

A fourth defendant will fight to keep his identity secret on the grounds that his business would suffer. The 36-year-old Auckland man faces charges of supplying Class-B drugs, selling Class-C drugs and participating in an organised criminal group.

However, name suppression was lifted yesterday from two defendants who were lower in the alleged syndicate hierarchy. Papatoetoe couple Luwayne Jason Lowe, 27, and Ivy Lau, 30, are charged with supplying Class-B, selling Class-C drugs and participating in an organised criminal group.

Of the 22 accused, 13 were in court yesterday and will appear next in February. They included Johnny Be Good, 35, Grant Oswald Petersen, 25, Kevin Sean Challis, 32, Kelvin Sonny Cress, 33, Brendan Nguyen, 32, Shalendra Singh, 32, and Rangimarie Kemp, 27.

The rest, including four with interim name suppression, will appear in Auckland District Court today.

Auckland metro drug squad head Detective Inspector Bruce Good said the syndicate was responsible for the bulk of Ecstasy manufacture and supply in New Zealand.

It has also been linked to tablets at Fairfield College in Hamilton, where six students were hospitalised after swallowing what they thought were lollies. ESR testing has confirmed the tablets were Class-C drugs and the 38-year-old mother of one of the students has been charged.