8 Aug 2017

Drug ring members jailed for importing cocktail of drugs

7:26 pm on 8 August 2017

Five members of a drug ring have been sentenced to a total of more than 54 years in prison for importing a cocktail of drugs.

Coat of Arms inside the High Court in Rotorua

Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

Thirty-seven drug seizures by police last year netted more than five and a half kilograms of methamphetamine, nearly eight litres of GBL - a potent anaesthetic-like drug - almost 2000 ecstasy pills, and 31 grams of cocaine.

Three men and a woman were sentenced at Auckland High Court today and another man was sentenced on Wednesday.

The longest sentence of 18.5 years was given to 40-year-old Rodney Martel, who is believed to be the ring leader.

Customs investigations manager Bruce Berry said all five were drug users and opportunists who chose to be greedy and import drugs to distribute through their networks.