The Crown summary of facts revealed that during the search police located 11kg of non-approved psychoactive substances packaged in about 1kg plastic bags.
The drugs were already there when the defendants arrived at the assigned motel unit.
The summary of facts also stated the defendants knew to uplift each 1kg bag and separate the contents into about 500 2g bags already provided to them.
When police arrived, the defendants were in the process of dividing the contents of the 1kg bags into small plastic snaplock bags containing about 2g per bag.
Once that process was completed, they were instructed to leave the motel unit.
They were paid in cash for undertaking this process either then or contacted later.
Also found in the motel unit were scales, spoons used to measure the substance, cell phones and $832.50.
The non-approved psychoactive substance often referred to as "synnies" were commonly sold in 2g lots in snaplock bags, the police summary stated.
Synnies commonly sold for between $30 to $50 for 2g, giving a street value of between $165,000 and $275,000 for the product found in the motel unit.
Judge Mabey QC said in granting home detention he took into account that the trio were not principal offenders and it was clear they were no more than "labourers" acting until the control of someone else.
In 2013, the Government introduced the Psychoactive Substances Act 2013 to control the importation, manufacture and sale of psychoactive substances in New Zealand.
