Police Shut Down Drug Operations Across Kumeū
In the past week, Police have recovered nearly 400 kilograms of cannabis, 40 grams of cocaine and made three arrests.
Waitematā North Area Commander, Inspector Mike Rickards says local Police have been targeting large cannabis grow house operations run by Vietnamese organised criminal groups around the Kumeū area.
Warrants were terminated on Wednesday, 21 May, and 16 May at two properties.
'On Wednesday, our Kumeū and Helensville staff terminated a search warrant at a Station Road property where a sophisticated operation was uncovered.
'At the property, we located 931 cannabis plants weighing 237 kilograms.'
Police also located a vast amount of equipment used to manufacture.
It followed a previous warrant last Friday at a nearby address, where two Vietnamese nationals were arrested.
Inspector Rickards says Police located 130 cannabis plants weighting up to 155 kilograms.
'Inside, we also seized a large amount of cash as well as high-end equipment used in the manufacturing of cannabis.'
Cocaine was also located at the property.
Two arrests were made, and a 27-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man have been remanded in custody on drugs offences.
A third warrant was also conducted on 16 May, which resulted in a Head Hunters associate being arrested.
'The Waitematā Gang Disruption Unit and members of the Offender Prevention Team attended,' Inspector Rickards
'A 36-year-old man was arrested after he initially tried to dispose of illicit drugs at the address.'
Police located 30 grams of cocaine as well as cannabis at the property.
The man was arrested and has been charged with possession for supply of cocaine and cannabis.
Inspector Rickards says Police are pleased with the outcome.
'Our team's operations over the past week have in no doubt disrupted the illegal operation and prevented harm in our community.
'It will have had an impact on drug distribution across the Rodney area.
'We're really clear that we won't tolerate this in our community, and we'll continue to target these groups who are cashing in on their offending.'
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He was dropped off where the ordeal started in Auckland Central. Lama had given him a deadline of four days to come up with the $20,000. 'Frankly disturbing' Defence lawyer Mark Edgar acknowledged his client's demand for money but said it wasn't extortion so much as a throw-away comment after Israel Lama had already decided to release him. The judge wasn't so convinced. Edgar also acknowledged his client was the 'elder statesman' of the group but said he was damaged by his own violent upbringing. Jade Jerome, left, and Israel Lama stand in the dock in the High Court at Auckland during their arraignment in May 2025. Photo / Michael Craig 'It was triggering for him,' Edgar said of the bottom slap. 'He was feeling rage. He had no plan. He was very distraught ... and very, very angry. '... This was very much an issue of history repeating itself.' The victim, who was referred to as 'X' because of his permanent name suppression, 'exacerbated' what happened due to his persistent denials, the defence lawyer said. He said his client realised 'the enormity of what he had done' after taking a short rest that morning. He then took steps to release the victim, he said. 'He's ashamed,' Edgar said. 'He's ashamed for his family. He's ashamed he brought his brothers in this, who simply followed his lead.' But Crown prosecutor Pip McNabb emphasised that the offending was 'cruel, callous and degrading' – and among the worst of its kind. She pointed out that he was already on bail for three seperate offences at the time of the offending and is now serving a three-year sentence for the previous crimes, including a disturbing robbery in which he urinated on the victim. The judge agreed. 'That X had slapped your girlfriend's bottom does not make your offending any less serious,' Justice Downs said. 'I reject any notion that it does.' He described the facts of the case as 'frankly disturbing'. Auckland High Court judge Justice Matthew Downs. 'Pleasure – I repeat, pleasure – was taken in the torture of a fellow human being,' he said, pointing out that the main defendant then used social media 'like a trophy'. The judge quoted extensively from the victim impact statement, which was not read aloud in court. 'I may have survived physically, but mentally I live with this every day,' the victim said, explaining: 'I don't sleep. I panic when I hear power tools or raised voices. 'I flinch in public. I carry the fear this could happen again.' The victim noted that, like the defendants, he had also known struggle and hardship. 'But never, ever would I think of doing something like this to another human being,' he wrote. 'Active lieutenants throughout' Also appearing for sentencing today were co-defendants Jerome, Harmon Unasa and Nathan Tuaiti. Co-defendant Ricky Harder, whose participation was found to be limited, was sentenced in May to home detention. Former Head Hunters prospect Ricky Harder appears in the High Court at Auckland for sentencing after admitting to having participated in the May 2023 kidnapping and torture of a stranger. Photo / Michael Craig Lawyers for Jerome and Unasa both told the judge today that their clients were remorseful for their participation. Jerome's lawyer, Ian Tucker, emphasised that his client has no ties to the Head Hunters. But prosecutors asked for a starting point sentence, before reductions were taken into account, of 11 years each. It was just two years less than the ringleader, McNabb said, because both men participated in the violence and served as Israel Lama's 'right-hand men'. The judge agreed to the 11-year starting point, explaining that anything less wouldn't be fitting of such a 'prolonged, multi-faceted and sadistic' kidnap and torture. He pointed out that there's nothing in court documentation suggesting that the ringleader asked Jerome to beat the victim with a hammer. 'You did that seemingly on your own initiative,' he said. 'That speaks volumes.' As with the other defendants, the judge declined to allow a reduction for remorse. Nathan Tuaiti appears in the High Court at Auckland to plead guilty to participating in the prolongued torture of a man who slapped the bottom of a mate's partner in an Auckland nightclub. Photo / Craig Kapitan 'There were many, many opportunities over the 19 or 20 hours for an act of compassion,' the judge said, explaining that it could have been as simple as offering the victim a glass of water. 'Something to acknowledge that he was another human. 'Neither of you, nor anyone else for that matter, did anything of the sort.' He ordered sentences of eight years and six and a half months imprisonment for Unasa and eight years and three months for Jerome. They, too, will have to serve at least half of their sentences before they can apply for parole. 'You were willing and active lieutenants throughout,' the judge explained. Tuaiti will be sentenced later today. More to come Craig Kapitan is an Auckland-based journalist covering courts and justice. He joined the Herald in 2021 and has reported on courts since 2002 in three newsrooms in the US and New Zealand. Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
