Inmate cellphones feature in drugs trial

Prison authorities have seized more than 200 cellphones from inmates in the past three years, a drugs trial in the High Court at Auckland heard yesterday.

It is alleged that the importing of nearly a kilogram of the Class B drug "speed" was masterminded from prison using cellphones.

Defence lawyer Chris Tennet told the court it was not known how many mobile phones were circulating among the prison population.

However, in the past three years more than 200 cellphones had been found in jails, and 47 were confiscated in the past year alone.

His client, Gary Victor Martin, aged 45 of Northland is accused of being involved with Rocky Pulete in the importing of just under 1kg of amphetamine from Hamburg in May last year.

Justice Peter Salmon told the jury that Pulete had previously been dealt with by the court.

Mark Treleaven, appearing for the Crown with Helen Gilbert, told the court that cellphones featured prominently in the case.

Pulete and Martin were on remand in Mt Eden jail at the time.

"The crown case is not that they physically carried drugs into New Zealand but that they caused it to be brought in from abroad," said Mr Treleaven.

The shipment was intercepted by customs officers at Auckland Airport who allowed a "controlled delivery."

Police and customs officials kept track of the drug parcel.

Two other men, Talo Olakepa Vailahi, aged 31 of Mt Roskill, and Sione Mohetau, aged 25 of Mt Eden, are accused with Martin of conspiring together and with Pulete to supply amphetamine. Vailahi and Mohetau are also charged with possession of the drug for supply.

Mr Treleaven told the court that prison staff recovered two cellphones from Pulete.

Martin had been seen putting something in a drain in the prison education yard.

Two cellphones were later found there.

Mr Treleaven said it was the crown case that various telephones had been used to plan and execute the offending.

But Mr Tennet told the jury: "Prisoners have cellphones for a variety of reasons.

"Just because a prisoner has a cellphone doesn't mean he is importing drugs."

Murray Gibson told the jury that his client, Mohetau, had been the "unwitting courier for the nefarious activities of Pulete."

Like the other accused, his client had been used by Pulete.

Mary Tuilotolava, representing Vailahi, said that her client had not been part of any conspiracy and did not know that there were drugs in a bag which police found in his van.