Jail for helper in Harrods' drug ring

John Apostolakis was found guilty of importing the class B drug MDMA, also known as ecstasy and jailed for three years. Photo / Greg Bowker

A man who helped set up a delivery address for drugs hidden inside Harrods gift baskets has been sentenced to three years and three months in prison.

John Apostolakis was found guilty of importing the class B drug MDMA, also known as ecstasy.

The 38-year-old was one of 16 people arrested in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch in 2008 after a police investigation into the smuggling of 100,000 ecstasy tablets over a three-month period.

Dubbed "Operation Pave'' by police, authorities uncovered a multimillion-dollar drug syndicate which included ecstasy pills being hidden inside Harrods gift baskets and sent to addresses registered to false identities.

Crown prosecutor Mina Wharepouri said the Crown was not able to establish how much ecstasy was imported with the help of Apostolakis.

But he said the evidence at trial suggested Apostolakis played a small but necessary part in the "large scale commercial enterprise''.

He said although Apostolakis was not the main offender in the operation his offending demonstrated a high level of planning and premeditation.

Mr Wharepouri said the court could take into account other evidence heard at trial, although Apostolakis was only found guilty of one charge of importing ecstasy.

The court heard evidence that a bag belonging to Apostolakis was found to contain US$150,000 and $480,000.

Apostolakis' lawyer Douglas Ewen said the court could not take such evidence into account. He said his client had been accused of money-laundering but was discharged of that count before his trial.

"Given the evidence is not tested, it becomes somewhat speculation.''

He said his client had a low-level role.

Mr Ewen said the court should take into account that Apostolakis had lost his family and children and pointed to a probation report which found his client had a low risk of reoffending.

Justice Patricia Courtney said she would not take into account evidence of Apostolakis' role in other parts of the operation.

"I am satisfied you had a good understanding of how the advertisement you placed would be used.''

She said drugs cause major harm to the community and damage the local economy.

Justice Courtney said it was clear from the amounts of cash and drugs police seized that the operation Apostolakis was involved in was large-scale.

Mathew Frewer, a 38-year-old Englishman was found to be a key player in the syndicate.

He was found guilty of three charges of importing ecstasy. In June he was sentenced to eight years and nine months in prison, of which he will serve at least four years and three months.

Another crucial link in the Ecstasy supply chain was someone who can only be called the Fisherman - who pleaded guilty and gave evidence for the Crown.

As the wholesaler, the 54-year-old was a trusted middleman for the overseas-based operation. He never paid for the drugs up front. Instead, he would sell 1000 pills to his dealers for $25,000 and keep a few thousand dollars himself.

In a wide-ranging admission to the Weekend Herald two years ago, the Fisherman said he sold Ecstasy to street-level dealers in broad daylight.

Cash and money were often exchanged at bars in the Viaduct Harbour, the hub of the city's nightlife, as he and his associates gave wrapped "birthday presents'' to each other.