Gang member charged with running drug ring in Hawke’s Bay from smuggled phone in prison cell

Nine people have been charged in the Hastings District Court, including a business couple, after a police sting netted a haul of drugs and ammunition.

Nine people with Hawke’s Bay links have been charged in a police sting on a drug ring allegedly run by a gang member from his North Island prison cell.

Police allege the ringleader of the operation was sending instructions from his cell using a smuggled mobile phone.

The alleged ringleader, one of three individuals to have been in prison at the time of their alleged offending, was set to appear at the Hastings District Court via audio-visual link on Tuesday. He did not appear but was remanded to appear on June 22.

The operation began in January, and each week, police intercepted approximately 25 hours of phone calls, text messages and social media activity on a phone used by the alleged ringleader.

The intercepts were carried out over a 30-day period, police said in a statement.

Eight others are believed by police to have been involved with the operation: three women aged 23, 27 and 40, and five men aged 21, 23, 28, 36 and 39. The alleged ringleader did not enter a plea and has been granted name suppression through to trial.

Four of the others also appeared in court today, two via audio-visual link, and were also remanded to appear in June.

Police said in a statement that in mid-April, they executed the first of a number of search warrants targeting the suspects.

Thousands of dollars in cash and drugs have been recovered, including 775 rounds of ammunition from a couple, neither of whom possess a firearms licence.

All nine face a range of charges related to the supply and distribution of drugs, unlawful possession of explosives (ammunition) and money laundering.

All but one of the nine face charges of participating in an organised criminal group.

In total, three prisoners were charged for their roles in organising the distribution of methamphetamine and cannabis. They are alleged to have used smuggled mobile phones to communicate together.

Detective Inspector David De Lange said it was brazen offending.

”We believe this operation has dealt a significant blow to the flow of drugs in the Hawke’s Bay, and will keep money out of the pockets of organised criminals, who benefit from this offending.

”This was a sophisticated operation. Organised criminal groups go to great lengths to make money from the drugs they sell and police allege this operation was no exception.”

Judge Gordon Matenga suppressed the alleged ringleader’s name until the end of the proceedings.

He also granted interim name suppression to a business couple, who were charged with being part of the organised criminal group, supplying cannabis and possessing ammunition.

The gang member is in custody and the couple were remanded on bail.