Police say more than $800,000 in assets linked to a convicted drug-dealing operation will now be forfeited to the Crown. The case highlights the use of New Zealand's criminal proceeds legislation to strip offenders of assets believed to have been acquired through organised crime.
Report by eLocal
A Wairoa couple convicted of supplying and distributing methamphetamine has been ordered to forfeit more than $800,000 in cash and assets following a Gisborne High Court ruling.
The forfeiture order follows a lengthy police investigation into Aria Hubbard and her partner Samson Edwards, a member of the Mongrel Mob Barbarian Motorcycle Club. The pair were arrested in 2021 before later being convicted on charges relating to the supply and distribution of methamphetamine in Wairoa.
Acting Detective Sergeant Shaun Kennard said the forfeited assets include one commercial property, five residential properties, more than $150,000 in cash, five vehicles, a motorbike, a jet ski and jewellery.
Police investigators also found the couple had deposited more than $200,000 into bank accounts while spending almost $400,000 in cash during the course of their offending.
Kennard said investigators established that criminal proceeds were used to purchase vehicles, jewellery and residential property, while also funding renovations on several properties owned by the pair.
Police alleged some assets had been placed into other people's names in what appeared to be an attempt to distance the offenders from the property and make seizure more difficult.
Authorities have also reminded businesses to exercise caution when accepting large cash payments, particularly where organised crime may be involved, warning that legitimate businesses can inadvertently become involved in money laundering activities.
Under New Zealand's criminal proceeds legislation, assets forfeited to the Crown can be directed towards programmes designed to reduce the harm caused by organised crime and illegal drugs. Police say funds recovered through forfeiture orders help support community initiatives aimed at preventing crime and reducing the impact of methamphetamine across affected regions, including Hawke's Bay.
Source: RNZ / NZ Police