Guilty verdicts for last of the SkyCity P ring

Ri Tong Zhou used the VIP lounge at SkyCity as the 'office' of his multimillion-dollar P ring. Photo / Supplied

The final player in the multimillion-dollar P ring that used SkyCity as an office has been convicted after the covert police inquiry that has already sent 12 co-offenders to prison for 95 years.

Di Wu was found guilty on three methamphetamine supply and conspiracy charges by majority verdict 10-1 at the High Court in Auckland this week. The jury was unable to return a verdict on a fourth charge of possession for supply.

The 27-year-old known as Elvis finally stood trial after escaping from custody during a special visit - allowed by the courts - to his lawyer's Auckland offices.

He forfeited a $200,000 bail bond to the court but was eventually caught by police.

Wu was convicted of supplying 9 ounces of P to someone called "Little King" - with a street value of $250,000 - and two charges of conspiracy to supply with Zhong Wei.

Nicknamed "Visa", the 28-year-old university student Wei drove a Chrysler Crossfire and was found with $558,000 in a safety deposit box when arrested by police in December 2006.

Wu's conviction came after the fourth trial arising from the police's year-long Operation Manu, which investigated Asian organised crime running a multimillion-dollar P ring from the VIP lounge of SkyCity casino.

Wu will be sentenced in the High Court in August. Twelve other accused have been sentenced to a total of more than 95 years' jail.

Police tapped more than 13,500 phone calls during the inquiry, which uncovered criminals involved in the supply and distribution of methamphetamine, particularly in Auckland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty.

The key figure in the gang, Ri Tong Zhou, 41, was jailed for 15 years after admitting more than 30 methamphetamine-related charges including the supply of more than $3-million worth of P in just two months.

Zhou spent more than $8 million at the casino to launder the money.

In sentencing Zhou, Justice Rhys Harrison criticised SkyCity casino for the way it had been used by the drug dealers - Zhou had used the VIP lounge as a hub for discussing the buying and selling of methamphetamine.

PRISON TERMS
* Ri Tong Zhou: 15 years.
* Zhong Wei: 15 years.
* Chen-Wei Huang: 15 years.
* Alan McQuade: 14 years.
* Guozhi Li: 11 years 3 months.
* Lyrice Peri: 6 years.
* Gang Cai: 5 years.
* Jia Wang: 5 years.
* Mahmoud Shahriari-Far: 4 years 2 months.
* Chun Pong Cheng: 4 years.
* Chu-Wang Yeh: 1 year 3 months.
* Di Wu: To be sentenced in August.
TOTAL: 95 years and counting.