Latest news with #Collett
NZ Herald
4 days ago
- NZ Herald
Stiff jail sentences for South American-linked Operation Bali cocaine and meth smuggling syndicate
She stayed in contact with her ex-husband back home, an alleged drug dealer named Eddy, and when her son joined her in New Zealand some years later, she helped him in his drug-dealing activities too. Now she is in prison. So is her Kiwi husband, her son and another South American immigrant, who all joined forces in a criminal group to import Class A drugs – cocaine and methamphetamine. The Wellington-based syndicate operated at least between February 2021 and June 2022, importing an estimated 28.6kg of methamphetamine and 5kg of cocaine. A joint police and Customs investigation, codenamed Operation Bali, was started after Customs intercepted several drug consignments at the border. The amounts in each and the packaging led Customs to believe the consignments were somehow related to each other. Joint investigation set up They notified police, and a joint investigation was set up, with a core group of five Customs investigators and between five and 10 police officers. Some of the suspects were identified as foreign nationals who were using Spanish in their communications. Spanish-speaking police officers were brought in to provide translations in 'close to real time', according to Detective Senior Sergeant Trevor Collett of the National Organised Crime Group. Collett told NZME that authorities have seen an increase in methamphetamine and cocaine coming into New Zealand in recent years from Central and South America. He said this could be attributed to the drug cartels in those areas expanding into the South Pacific. 'New Zealand is considered by international standards a very lucrative market for the sale of methamphetamine and cocaine,' Collett said. 'Users in New Zealand pay premium prices for the controlled drugs, and suppliers such as the South American cartels can maximise their profit by supplying the New Zealand market.' In Operation Bali, the drugs arrived in packages and consignments addressed to fictitious people, or hidden in imported items, including the legs of a wooden table, a plate from a roading compactor, a metal cog, and a sausage grill. Some of the meth seized in Operation Bali was concealed in a package containing a picture of the Virgin Mary. Photo / NZ Police Some of it was even in a package containing a painting of the Virgin Mary. Operation Bali culminated in June 2022, when police with 11 search warrants raided properties in Wellington, the Hutt Valley and Hamilton. Searches found $450,000 in cash The searches uncovered not only drugs, but also more than $450,000 in cash. The subsequent court cases resulted in hefty prison sentences for syndicate members, handed down by Justice Helen McQueen in the High Court at Wellington. Romero Lopez's New Zealand husband, Peter Alexander Wellman, got the stiffest prison sentence in the group after pleading guilty to importing cocaine, importing and supplying methamphetamine, conspiring to possess methamphetamine for supply, and money laundering. He was sentenced to eight years and six months in prison, with no chance of parole for three years and four months. Another leading member of the group, Sergio Antonio Vargas Gonzalez, was sentenced to seven years and three months for importing methamphetamine and cocaine. Romero Lopez's son, Juan Sebastian Galicia Romero, pleaded guilty to importing methamphetamine and cocaine and conspiring to possess meth for supply. He was sentenced to six years and nine months in jail. Romero Lopez herself, who said she was acting in deference to Wellman and to please her son, pleaded guilty to importing cocaine and money laundering. She was sent to prison for four years. Gonzalez's former partner, Frances Petersen, pleaded guilty to being a party to the importation of methamphetamine and received a sentence of eight and a half months of home detention. Peter Wellman used his company, Speciality Glaziers, to rent a storage container where the Class A drugs were extracted from imported goods and processed. Photo / Facebook Court documents say Wellman used his business, Speciality Glaziers, to rent a storage container where the drugs were extracted from the imported goods and processed. When police searched the house that Wellman and Romero Lopez shared, they found $144,000 hidden in the hot-water cupboard. The money laundering transactions for which Romero Lopez and Wellman were charged involved buying vehicles with cash – the couple paid $25,500 for a Nissan X-Trail SUV, and Wellman handed over $48,000 in cash for a caravan. Crash caused pain, financial hardship They explained their offending by saying it stemmed from a setback which caused them pain and financial hardship. Wellman and Romero Lopez were involved in a serious car accident in 2018. Wellman's ability to work was compromised by his injuries, and he turned to meth to deal with the pain while he was working. Before then, he had been considered a hard-working and highly regarded member of the community, according to references provided to the court from a former employer, a neighbour and friends. Wellman had previous convictions, not specified by the sentencing judge, but apart from a driving offence in 2002, they were all more than 30 years ago. But after Wellman started taking meth, he became addicted. His use increased dramatically, and he needed money to pay for the drug at the same time that he was earning less from his business and using up his savings. He was offered the chance to obtain meth at a reduced cost if he became a supplier and found other people to sell it to. Claudia Romero Lopez and Peter Wellman were both sent to prison. Photo / Facebook Early life abusive and chaotic Romero Lopez was described as having an 'extremely difficult personal history' in South America before moving to New Zealand 14 years ago. She came from poverty. Her early life was unstable and abusive, chaotic and traumatic. She was caught up in a gang-related drug cartel, although she later claimed that she had never used illegal drugs herself. She had no previous convictions. She was married for a while to the alleged drug supplier Eddy. She later met and married Wellman in New Zealand, but suffered spinal injuries in the 2018 car crash, leaving her unable to work. Romero Lopez claimed she was unaware of the cash found at her home, telling a probation officer that she looked after the house, and he looked after the money. '[I] didn't question where the money came from,' she was quoted as saying. 'Women from my culture and situation don't do that.' Romero Lopez said that some of her offending was to help her son, Galicia Romero, who took a leading role in the syndicate. She said she would 'try to do anything' to make her son happy. Galicia Romero worked with contacts overseas to send the drug imports to several New Zealand addresses. Court documents say he was personally responsible for the importation of 2.5kg of cocaine and 1kg of meth, and was found to have $63,450 hidden in a PVC pipe in his home. Galicia Romero, 27, was born in Colombia, and a report prepared for the court said that he grew up in the context of crime, violence and the idea that people could only succeed and get out of poverty through illegal activities. Another report said that when he was in his late teens, his father encouraged him to get to know older men involved in criminal activities, because they had money and status. Operation Bali officers discovered 6.1kg of meth hidden in the base plate of a roading compactor. Photo / NZ Police Galicia Romero joined his mother and two brothers in New Zealand under a family resettlement programme. He has previous convictions and has struggled with addiction to cocaine and alcohol. He faces possible deportation after finishing his sentence, and thus separation from his New Zealand-born son. $299,000 found in storage locker Vargaz Gonzalez was involved in importing the lion's share of the syndicate's drugs – 15.2kg of methamphetamine and 2.5kg of cocaine. Police found $299,000 hidden in a storage locker he had access to. He also directed his then partner, Petersen, to provide addresses where drug consignments could be delivered. These were sent to fictitious people, including 'Teresa Hendricks'. Teresa is Petersen's middle name, and Hendricks is her mother's maiden name. Petersen is a former psychology student who, according to court documents, is at risk of being trapped in a lifestyle of dancing in nightclubs, vulnerable to drug and alcohol use and predatory men. She applied for a discharge without conviction and name suppression, and was unsuccessful on both counts. Detective Senior Sergeant Collett said offshore drug suppliers were using increasingly sophisticated methods to conceal drugs coming into the country. In many cases, even the recipients don't know how the consignments will arrive and in what form until they receive the goods. Wristweights containing methamphetamine were seized by Customs during Operation Bali. Photo / NZ Customs Wastewater analysis and increased seizures show that cocaine use in New Zealand is on the rise. The national drugs in wastewater testing programme estimated that in the first quarter of 2025, the national consumption of the drug was 4.5kg a week. This compares with 3.3kg in the first quarter of last year. Ric Stevens spent many years working for the former New Zealand Press Association news agency, including as a political reporter at Parliament, before holding senior positions at various daily newspapers. He joined NZME's Open Justice team in 2022 and is based in Hawke's Bay. His writing in the crime and justice sphere is informed by four years of frontline experience as a probation officer.
The Age
23-06-2025
- Sport
- The Age
In-form Collett ready to continue winning run at Wyong
A winning treble at Randwick on Saturday has jockey Jason Collett set to go on with the job when he heads to Wyong on Tuesday with five top mounts awaiting. Collett booted home Callistemon, Lulumon and Civic Stakes winner Headley Grange at Randwick, and he hopes to continue the momentum at Wyong where he will combine with Newcastle trainer Kris Lees with two leading contenders. Collett and Lees will link with Odaka in the Arcade Trader Provincial Maiden Plate (1100m), while they will finish the day with Flame Of Hestia contesting the Wyong Roos Foundation Benchmark 64 Handicap (1000m). 'Odaka is a nice filly that I rode in her recent trial at Rosehill,' Collett said. 'She resumed in a listed race [Woodlands Stakes] at Scone over the carnival and was midfield in that. She'll appreciate the drop back to maiden grade and should be very hard to beat.' Flame Of Hestia is a speedy filly that is a winner of two of her four starts and comes into the Wyong event on the back of a last-start sixth at Canterbury. 'She bolted in at Newcastle when she resumed from a spell,' Collett said. 'She missed a place at Canterbury after that back in April, but she's had a trial since then and she won that well to be readied for Tuesday's race. She's drawn a good gate and should get every chance.' Collett's remaining three rides at Wyong are Qatar for Chris Waller in the Austbrokers 2YO Maiden Handicap (1350m), The Professor for his father, Richard Collett, in the Hospitality Supplies Express Class 1 Handicap (1600m), and Lady Savannah for Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes in the Carlton & United Breweries Class 1 Handicap (1350m). Loading 'Qatar is a well-bred colt that will have derived benefit from his debut performance at Canterbury,' Collett said. 'The Professor has been racing well with three placings to his name from as many runs since resuming from a lengthy lay-off.
Sydney Morning Herald
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
In-form Collett ready to continue winning run at Wyong
A winning treble at Randwick on Saturday has jockey Jason Collett set to go on with the job when he heads to Wyong on Tuesday with five top mounts awaiting. Collett booted home Callistemon, Lulumon and Civic Stakes winner Headley Grange at Randwick, and he hopes to continue the momentum at Wyong where he will combine with Newcastle trainer Kris Lees with two leading contenders. Collett and Lees will link with Odaka in the Arcade Trader Provincial Maiden Plate (1100m), while they will finish the day with Flame Of Hestia contesting the Wyong Roos Foundation Benchmark 64 Handicap (1000m). 'Odaka is a nice filly that I rode in her recent trial at Rosehill,' Collett said. 'She resumed in a listed race [Woodlands Stakes] at Scone over the carnival and was midfield in that. She'll appreciate the drop back to maiden grade and should be very hard to beat.' Flame Of Hestia is a speedy filly that is a winner of two of her four starts and comes into the Wyong event on the back of a last-start sixth at Canterbury. 'She bolted in at Newcastle when she resumed from a spell,' Collett said. 'She missed a place at Canterbury after that back in April, but she's had a trial since then and she won that well to be readied for Tuesday's race. She's drawn a good gate and should get every chance.' Collett's remaining three rides at Wyong are Qatar for Chris Waller in the Austbrokers 2YO Maiden Handicap (1350m), The Professor for his father, Richard Collett, in the Hospitality Supplies Express Class 1 Handicap (1600m), and Lady Savannah for Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes in the Carlton & United Breweries Class 1 Handicap (1350m). Loading 'Qatar is a well-bred colt that will have derived benefit from his debut performance at Canterbury,' Collett said. 'The Professor has been racing well with three placings to his name from as many runs since resuming from a lengthy lay-off.
Scoop
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
O Mahurangi – Penlink To Fully Open In 2028
While O Mahurangi – Penlink is still scheduled for completion in 2028, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) had planned to open some sections of the road earlier near Stillwater and Ara Wēiti. However, a major slip at the project's largest fill site has now delayed construction of these sections. While NZTA is still working to understand the full scheduling impacts, the project will now open as a single completed corridor. Cracking in the ground which was first identified in December last year required all activity in the area to pause while it could be assessed. Extensive testing and monitoring showed a deep layer under the surface (deep shear plane layer) was significantly weaker than experienced on other similar sites on the project where earthworks had been undertaken. Due to the slips continued movement, emergency works were declared in March to allow remediation works to be undertaken sooner. This minimises the risk of the slip damaging existing assets and private property. Regional Manager Transport Services Stephen Collett acknowledges that this delay will be frustrating to residents of Stillwater and Ara Wēiti, as well as all road users that wanted to use the road to access State Highway 1 earlier. 'As the project uses a cut fill balance approach for earthworks, the material at this location is unable to be stored elsewhere until we can implement a solution. Until the solution can be implemented, earthworks are unable to continue at the previous pace along the alignment. 'Despite the delay, O Mahurangi remains on track to open in line with the Wēiti River bridge, giving people the complete benefit of the project from day one. This will ensure a seamless and more connected journey to and from State Highway 1' says Mr Collett. While remediation works are completed, construction has continued at pace in other areas of the site, including: The placement of beams and deck for the future overbridge at State Highway 1 are in place The ramps from State Highway 1 are starting to be formed Future alignment along Duck Creek Road has had beams placed, decks poured and barriers installed. Next the team will dig out the earth from under the bridge to build the future State Highway 19. The western side abutment of the Wēiti River bridge is completed and the two land-based piers are at their final height. An additional two in river piers are currently being constructed. Landscaping along the alignment has begun. Approximately 600,000 cubic meters of earth has been moved (about 250 Olympic sized swimming pools). Once complete, O Mahurangi – Penlink will unlock long term benefits for the Auckland region, providing a more resilient network to get people where they need to be faster, supporting economic growth and connecting people to new housing developments.
USA Today
09-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Texas Longhorns add five-star kicker to 2026 class
Texas Longhorns add five-star kicker to 2026 class The Longhorns kicking game got a major boost on Sunday The Texas Longhorns have made another significant addition to their 2026 class. On Sunday, they got a commitment from five-star kicker Jake Collett. The Georgia native is the tenth player to join the Longhorns 2026 class. He chose the Longhorns over various programs, including UConn and Army. Over the last few years, Collett has made headlines with his leg. In Kohl Kicking's rankings, he ranked as the No. 2 overall kicker and No. 60 punter in his class. The newest Longhorn set himself apart at the 2025 Midwest Showcase Camp, where he showed off his range of up to 65 yards. " Collett had his best showing to date at the 2025 Midwest Showcase Camp," Kohl's scouting report said. "He was dominant throughout the drill work and competitions. He won the kickoff competition and had a couple of kickoffs go 75-80 yards with 4.3 seconds of hang time. Collett also showed consistent field goal range out to 65 yards away at camp." Collett joins a 2026 class that is full of talent. It also includes five-stars like quarterback Dia Bell, long snapper Trott O'Neal, and athlete Jermaine Bishop Jr., four-star defensive lineman Dylan Berymon, and three-star talents like wide receiver Chris Stewart, offensive lineman Nicolas Robertson, and safety Yaheim Riley. That group could continue growing with plenty of talent left on the board. With Collett now officially in the mix, excitement is building over what his future holds. If he can meet expectations, his career in Austin will be full of unforgettable kicks. Texas begins its regular season against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Aug. 30. That is a game Collett and many of his future teammates will be watching closely.
