At trial, Naufahu was found guilty of two charges of money laundering in relation to the purchase of a Bentley and a Ford Ranger. Vetekina Naufahu admitted to money laundering and possessing ecstasy, and is the latest Comanchero member to be sentenced after massive police raids in 2019. "Everything that I am today, I owe it all to you. They will be sentenced on October 23. The poaching is seen as a power move by Meehan, who only recently took over as President after former boss Mick Murray was arrested in April over a 2019 murder. The trial is set down for four weeks in front of Justice Graham Lang and a jury. If you are a copyright owner or are authorized to act on behalf of one or authorized to act under any exclusive right under copyright, please report alleged copyright infringements taking place on or through the site by completing the DMCA Notice of Alleged Infringement and delivering it to our Designated Copyright Agent. Payments were also made by Hakaraia to Comanchero vice president Tyson Daniels to buy another new Range Rover. Later, another recording includes the Comancheros president talking to a bank operator over the phone to apply for a credit card. This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald. "Dad, don't send me message [sic] like that. Rahman was unknown to the team of detectives running Operation Nova until he was overheard talking to one of the "frontmen", who cannot be named for legal reasons, whose phone conversations were bugged by police. "I can't wait to see you again dad. Naufahu was arrested following a series of raids across Auckland in April 2019 in which more than $3.7 million in assets was seized, along with luxury cars, motorbikes, high-end luggage and jewellery. Then in February 2019, two separate consignments from the United States - a "waffle maker" and "coffee brewer"- were stopped at the border by Customs, each containing 2.9kg of methamphetamine. Thieves get their hands dirty on building sites, what the Governments latest Kiwibuild changes could mean for you, and a female officer knocked out in a vicious attack in the latest New Zealand Herald headlines. More than 80 police officers were involved in the raids, which led to about $4 million of assets being seized, including firearms and several luxury vehicles such as a Rolls-Royce Wraith and gold-plated Harley-Davidson motorcycles. We respect every Motorcycle Club that adheres to proper MC protocol. Gang president Pasilika Naufahu was among those put behind bars, sentenced to 10 years' jail after being found guilty of conspiracy to supply the Class B drug pseudoephedrine. Naufahu was arrested following a series of raids across Auckland in April 2019, in which more than $3.7 million in assets was seized along with luxury cars, motorbikes, high-end luggage and jewellery. In 2018, as part of Operation Nova, police detectives from the National Organised Crime Group covertly filmed a drug deal involving the Comancheros motorcycle gang. The jury trial at the High Court is the first one to be held under the current enhancedCovid-19 alert level 2.5in Auckland. But another thing the success of the group bought with it was a problem, the problem was how to hide the crimes that were generating all the money, Johnstone said. However, they still ruled the end sentence imposed was excessive and substituted the 10 years to one of nine years imprisonment. Pasilika Naufahu appeared before the Parole Board on 12 September, and was again refused early release after he first became eligible for parole on 11 May. Photo: Supplied There cant be any sensible reason that these payments were loans, Johnstone said. The media personality is charged with participating in an organised criminal group and two charges of money laundering including the purchase of two concrete pumps totalling $439,700. "Your place in the Comancheros hierarchy means you were one of the directors of this serious offending, which exemplifies how organised criminal groups can obtain significant financial benefit from offending without putting themselves directly at risk.". The. Naufahu and Clausen are charged alongside Sha and the brother of a man who theCrown say is at the heart of the casewith consipiring to supply pseudoephedrine. In total, 18 people were arrested, with lawyer Andrew Simpson and the gangs vice-president Tyson Daniels jailed in 2019 for their part in the operation. "He is intelligent. An outlaw motorcycle club is a motorcycle subculture.It is generally centered on the use of cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and choppers, and a set of ideals that purport to celebrate freedom, nonconformity to mainstream culture, and loyalty to the biker group.. On Thursday, Detective Sergeant Damian Espinosa provided more details of surveillance of Naufahu in regards to the charges relating to conspiring to supply pseudoephedrine. Vetekina and Fonua now join Tyson Daniels, the clubs vice-president, and Auckland lawyer Andrew Simpson in being convicted of laundering criminal profits. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. A senior Comanchero MC member has admitted charges of money laundering and participating in an organised criminal group, just weeks before his trial was due to start. New Zealand 'A changed man': Comanchero vice-president Tyson Daniels released from prison after money laundering $2.6 million worth of luxury cars By Jared Savage 27 Aug, 2022 11:40 AM 4 mins. Justice van Bohemen said Simpson was the facilitator of the money-laundering scheme, who used his specialist skills and knowledge as a lawyer. His wife and a number of supporters were present in court for Naufahu's sentencing on Friday. The call was made in Mexico and the caller was identified as Rahman; a Fijian-Indian who lived in Suva, who had dual Canadian citizenship and travelled regularly to Mexico and the United States. Those guilty verdicts mean that since the Herald on Sunday revealed the infamous Instagram post announcing their arrival in 2018, five of the six founding members of the New Zealand Comancheros have been convicted of either serious drug or money laundering offences. Clausen is charged with conspiring to supply class B drug pseudoephedrine. After a lengthy and high-profile jury trial last year, Naufahu was found guilty of two money-laundering charges - one in respect of a Ford Ranger and the other a $102,075 Bentley. He had also earlier. 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The court heard Naufahu was a middle child of six children and the family had been under financial stress and hardship. Simpson was jailed for two years and nine months after admitting laundering more than $2 million for Naufahu and the gang. NZ Police want leaders of King Cobras and the Rebels MC to start peace talks, Two men charged with the murder of NZ Outlaws leader Peter Lui, Comanchero MC in New Zealand: Presidents brother pleads guilty, Nomads MC national prez arrested over firearms and criminal group charges, Alleged Nomads leader refused bail over shootings charges after Canberra raids, DMCA Notice of Alleged Infringement and delivering it to our Designated Copyright Agent. Of the dozens of intercepted calls using nicknames and codes played during the trial, none have involved the local Comancheros president until now. He said he is paid $2200 a week before tax - the equivalent of $114,000 a year - by a company which was run by another defendant, who has name suppression. Nearly $1.3 million in cash was deposited into the lawyers trust account, which was then used to purchase expensive cars and property. Comancheros vice-president Tyson Daniels has already been sentenced to four years and eight months' imprisonment. Their shared trial had started with five defendants but that number dropped by two when several charges were withdrawn midway. (First published September 2020). His lawyer, Marie Dyhrberg, QC, asked the Parole Board to consider "belief in redemption" as all the available evidence showed Daniels was a changed man. A video, taken by police, was played at trial showing the brother of a man who the Crown says is at the heart of the case and an Australian hairdresser meeting with Clausen. The sentencing of Comanchero vice- president Tyson Daniels and lawyer Andrew Simpson; inset, Jarome Fonua; below, two of the vehicles seized. Video / NZ Herald. The 501 scheme is the the character section of the Australian Migration Act that allows the cancellation of visas. The haul was worth about $20m. Justice van Bohemen said Simpson was the facilitator of the money-laundering scheme, who used his specialist skills and knowledge as a lawyer. You are not permitted to download, save or email this image. Tallat Rahman, from Suva, was arrested in February 2019 in the first phase of the inquiry, which discovered how parcels of methamphetamine weighing up to 5kg were hidden inside kitchen appliances shipped from the United States. Johnstone said Naufahu was the source of $1 million that was meant to be used to purchase pseudoephedrine, but the suppliers withdrew from the exchange. A lawyer was used to set up trusts for Naufahu and other group members. The five were arrestedfollowing a series of raidsacross Auckland in April 2019 which saw more than $3.7 million in assets seized along withluxury cars, motorcycles, luxury luggageand jewellery. Fonua had earlier pleaded guilty to participating in an organised criminal group, money laundering and possession of 5.9g of methamphetamine. "That's my only income," he said to the bank teller. Comancheros boss Pasilika Naufahu has been sentenced to ten years in prison after last year being found guilty of money laundering and conspiring to supply drugs. READ MORE: * Comancheros gang president Pasilika Naufahu jailed for 10 years * Comancheros: Man who bought car for gang vice-president gets community detention * Comancheros: Gang president found guilty of money laundering and drugs charges. Naufahu - whose brother Pasilika is the president of the New Zealand chapter of the Australian motorcycle club - also pleaded guilty to possession of MDMA, or Ecstasy, which is a Class-B controlled drug. "From the way that I talk from the way that I move. At the sentencing on Friday, Crown prosecutor David Johnstone said the defence had tried to unreasonably minimise Naufahus culpability as the leader of the criminal group. The gang's secretary Jarome Fonua has previously been jailed for his part in the drug operation. Photo: Supplied, Tyson Daniels, in the gold Versace top, and Auckland lawyer Andrew Simpson at their sentencing hearing in February 2020. The true source of the money was a secret and the group had to use a range of tactics to pretend the source was legitimate, the Crown said. The reality was that [the media personality] was running [the concreting business] for the joint benefit for himself and the organised criminal group, Johnstone said. The money laundering charge relates to his late-model Range Rover, worth around $150,000, while the organised crime charge carries the most significant penalty of up to 10 years in prison. 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