NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Mongrel Mob Kawerau president, 6 others guilty of drug-dealing offences

By Sandra Conchie
Bay of Plenty Times·
16 Nov, 2020 10:47 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Sentencing for Mongrel Mob Kawerau president Frank Milosevic, his son Slobodan and their partners and three others will take place in the Tauranga District Court in February. Photo / File

Sentencing for Mongrel Mob Kawerau president Frank Milosevic, his son Slobodan and their partners and three others will take place in the Tauranga District Court in February. Photo / File

A jury has found seven people, including the Mongrel Mob Kawerau president, guilty of a raft of drug-dealing charges involving tens of thousands of dollars of P and cannabis.

Mongrel Mob Kawerau president Frank Amadeus Milosevic, 52, his sons, Slobodan Rahorei Milosevic, 30, and Te Oherere Lucky Boy Milosevic, 28, were among the eight defendants on trial in the Hamilton District Court over the past eight weeks.

Also on trial were Frank Milosevic's partner, Irene Raki, and Slobodan's partner, Raiha Tawera, along with Starlight Whitumarama Manuel, 36, from Whakatāne, Keith Pryor, 48, from Paengaroa, and Lawrence Te Kira, 47, from Gisborne.

The 66 Crown charges stemmed from a six-month covert police investigation named Operation Notus focused on the Mongrel Mob Kawerau chapter and their associates.

The jury delivered its verdicts in relation to 55 charges on November 13, while there were guilty pleas to five charges and three other charges were dismissed during the trial.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Frank Milosevic and his son Slobodan, also a patched Mongrel Mob member, were found guilty of joint charges of cannabis cultivation, possession of methamphetamine (P) for supply, supplying P and conspiring to supply this drug.

The conspiring to supply methamphetamine charge related to the pair being overheard discussing sourcing 10 ounces of P which they planned to sell to customers for $50,000.

The pair were acquitted of a further cannabis cultivation charge.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He and partner Irene Raki were also found guilty of two money-laundering charges which relate to 46 cash deposits into accounts they controlled and also large cash purchases.

The purchases made between 2015 and 2018 included a $43,000 van, a $90,000 Ford Raptor and a $23,000 Harley Davidson.

Discover more

World

Helen Clark - call for resignation from Covid panel a 'smear'

15 Nov 09:25 PM

Frank Milosevic was also found guilty of nine cannabis-dealing charges, which included six charges of selling the drug, possession for sale and offering to sell cannabis.

This included selling large quantities of cannabis to Keith Pryor and Starlight Manuel.

He was acquitted of further three cannabis and P dealing charges.

Slobodan Milosevic was also found guilty of five separate charges of supplying P, and one charge each of offering to supply P and conspiring to supply methamphetamine.

This included supplying significant amounts of P on at least 80 separate occasions and offering to supply the drug on another 14 occasions.

He and partner Raiha Tawera were also found guilty of three joint charges of engaging in tens of thousands of dollars worth of money-laundering transactions.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

This included electronic bank payments totalling $54,000 and $104,894 cash deposits made into another person's bank account and also a raft of cash purchases mostly related to renovations to the couple's Kawerau home.

Slobodan was also found guilty of five representative cannabis-dealing charges, including three of selling cannabis to others on multiple occasions.

Pryor was found guilty of six cannabis and P-dealing charges. That is, selling cannabis, offering to sell cannabis, possession of cannabis for sale, and supplying methamphetamine, possession for supply and offering to supply the drug.

The charges include selling in excess of 12.6 pounds (5.7kg) of cannabis and offering to sell cannabis on 23 occasions in Whakatāne or elsewhere in New Zealand in 2017.

Starlight Whitumarama Manuel, 36, from Whakatāne who the jury heard was known as "Star Dog" to his associates, was found guilty in relation to 10 charges. That is, four charges of possession of cannabis for sale, one each of selling cannabis, conspires to sell cannabis, possession of P for supply and offering to supply the drug.

Manuel's charges include him supplying not less than 21g of P, and also supplied 2.196kg of cannabis, and being caught in possession of another 42g of P.

He also pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a .308 Weatherby rifle, multiple rounds of ammunition and a knife, plus possession of P utensils during the trial.

Te Kira was found guilty of two charges of offering to supply methamphetamine to Slobodan Milosevic and one of supplying him with the drug,

He was also found guilty of possession of 3.83g of P for supply when arrested.

Te Oherere Milosevic, who pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful possession of firearms during the trial, received a fine and he was acquitted of a cannabis-cultivation charge. A charge of unlawful possession of ammunition was dismissed.

Judge Paul Mabey, QC, remanded Frank and Slobodan Milosevic, Pryor, Te Kira and Manuel in custody and Raki and Tawera on bail pending sentencing on February 11 and 12.

Three further charges will be withdrawn at the sentencing hearing.

Defendants and their charges:

Frank Milosevic:

Cultivation of cannabis (joint charge)

Possession of P for supply (2 joint charges)

Supply methamphetamine (joint charge)

Supply methamphetamine

Conspired to supply P (joint charge)

Sell cannabis ( 6 charges)

Offer to sell cannabis

Conspired to sell cannabis

Possession of cannabis for sale

Irene Raki and Frank Milosevic:
2 charges of money laundering

Slobodan Milosevic:
Cultivates cannabis (joint charge)
Possession of P for supply (joint charge)
Supply P (five charges)
Offer to supply P
Conspired to supply P (joint charge)
Possession of cannabis for sale
Sell cannabis (3 charges)
Offer to sell cannabis (2 charges)

Raiha Tawera and Slobodan Milosevic:
3 joint charges of money laundering

Starlight Manuel:
Offers to supply methamphetamine
Possession cannabis for sale (3 charges)
Sell cannabis
Offer to sell cannabis (two charges)
Conspired to sell cannabis
Offer to supply methamphetamine
Possession of P for supply.
Unlawful possession of a firearm and a knife
Unlawful possession 278 rounds of ammunition.

Keith Pryor:
Joint charges of:
Sells cannabis
Offer to sell cannabis
Possession of cannabis for sale
Offer to supply P
Supply methamphetamine
Possession of P for supply

Lawrence Te Kira:
2 charges of supplying P
Offer to supply P
Possession of P for supply

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from New Zealand

OpinionUpdated

NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today

13 Jul 11:52 PM
New ZealandUpdated

'All I could do was watch and pray': Auckland priest wakes at 2am to his church ablaze

13 Jul 10:47 PM
ChristchurchUpdated

Police appeal for info after road-rage assault on busy motorway

13 Jul 10:47 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today

NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today

13 Jul 11:52 PM

Want to have your say on our stories? Here's how.

'All I could do was watch and pray': Auckland priest wakes at 2am to his church ablaze

'All I could do was watch and pray': Auckland priest wakes at 2am to his church ablaze

13 Jul 10:47 PM
Police appeal for info after road-rage assault on busy motorway

Police appeal for info after road-rage assault on busy motorway

13 Jul 10:47 PM
Small Kiwi distillery outshines rap legend Snoop Dogg in world gin awards

Small Kiwi distillery outshines rap legend Snoop Dogg in world gin awards

13 Jul 10:44 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP