Comancheros Trial: Jury Overhears Microphone Car Talks About Alleged $ 1 Million Drug Deal

A jury has overheard police intercepted conversations between a suspected drug dealer and an Australian hairdresser fighting over a possible million-dollar drug deal allegedly for the Comancheros gang.

The chairman of the New Zealand chapter of the Pasilika Naufahu gang is on trial in Auckland High Court on charges of money laundering and drug conspiracy.

Also on trial are his fellow comanchero Connor Michael Tamati Clausen, accountant Wiwini Himi Hakaraia, and a woman and a media personality who both have name suppression.

The five defendants were arrested last year after an undercover police investigation dubbed Operation Nova.

As part of the operation, authorities discovered Australian-Chinese citizen He Sha, who had arrived in Auckland on September 15, 2018 on a flight from Sydney.

On September 20, Sha met an alleged drug dealer in a Great Wall vehicle in south Auckland, but unbeknownst to them, the police had bugged the car and was listening in on their conversations.

The suspected drug dealer tells Sha that they are talking about “New Zealand’s largest gang” and warns against disrespect due to money and power at stake.

“They don’t give a shit who you are,” he said.

He posed the question: Who else on the first day is going to make a million dollar deal the same day, even in Sydney?

“You want his business.”

Later, the man tells Sha South Auckland that it is one of the most heavily guarded areas in the country.

“It’s a bad place to meet,” he said, adding that the officers in the area “are all squads.”

Later, again, the man tells Sha that the pseudoephedrine should be thrown in the trunk of a car.

“Tell him exactly that,” he said, adding that it couldn’t be delivered through a window or a door.

“Your pseudo is worth nothing without their money. Today they pay you off ** k off.”

As talks continue about a possible drug drop, the man repeatedly says they are going to “screw it up” and claims they are wasting their time.

However, Sha claimed that it was the man’s partner who wanted to cancel.

The man calls him an idiot because he says that he himself is already present for the deal.

“It’s not about money for me … people know me in this city,” the man said.

The man said that if his reputation suffered he would come to Sydney to look for them.

“Tell your friend … We can’t always keep parking, parking, parking … this is not a pleasant area.

“We can’t keep parking around here waiting for your partner to come. It’s not safe. No more games, no more nonsense.”

The trial continues tomorrow with more surveillance gathered by the police to be presented to the jury.

The charges

Naufahu faces charges of conspiracy to import a Class A drug and conspiracy to supply a Class B drug, as well as three counts of money laundering.

The money laundering charges relate to the purchase of a Ford Ranger, Bentley and Jacon SG3 Trailer concrete pump, which together total more than $ 212,700.

Hakaraia is charged with participating in an organized criminal group, two counts of possession of a class A drug for supply and three counts of money laundering.

Clausen is accused of conspiring to supply pseudoephedrine, a class B drug.

A media personality, who has name suppression, faces one count of participation in an organized criminal group and two counts of money laundering.

The money laundering charges relate to the purchase of two concrete pumps for a total of $ 439,700.

The latest defendant, who also has name suppression, faces a money laundering charge by depositing more than $ 292,000 in cash into various bank accounts.