A court has heard a Comanchero-associate drove through Auckland with a million dollars in cash to buy a methamphetamine prescursor, before the deal fell over. Operation Nova was launched in late 2018 because police were concerned about the Comancheros' connections to international organised crime figures, and the gang's immediate impact - along with other Australian outlaw motorcycle clubs - on New Zealand's criminal underworld. Copyright Star Media Network 2019. Later that afternoon, the man is heard telling Sha to tell the guy thats coming with the pseudo to drop it in the boot. Mansfield said Naufahu has never shied away from admitting to being the president of the New Zealand chapter of the Comanchero gang. Clausen had his appeal dismissed earlier this year. At the Court of Appeal, Ron Mansfield QC argued the statements made by a man who has name suppression, should have been ruled inadmissible because there was an absence of reasonable evidence that Naufahu was a member of the $1m conspiracy to supply pseudoephedrine. READ MORE: * Comancheros: Man who bought car for gang vice-president gets community detention * Comancheros: Gang president found guilty of money laundering and drugs charges * Comanchero trial: Media personality ran company to 'disguise offending' Crown * Comanchero trial: 'Secrets and pretending' used to disguise offending, Crown says * Comancheros President Pasilika Naufahu admits some charges ahead of trial. "Ok, I delete," came the reply. Comanchero Motorcycle Gang members have been arrested in Auckland. Frustrated emails from Kawerau constable to Police Commissioner Mike Bush led to downfall of Mo Video of gang's botched $1m drug deal that brought down Comancheros leader - NZ Herald, Auckland Airport meth bust: Air New Zealand baggage handlers charged - NZ Herald. Justice van Bohemen said Simpson was the facilitator of the money-laundering scheme, who used his specialist skills and knowledge as a lawyer. Most updated Motorcycle community news from all the World, Motorcycle Clubs news, 1%er news. The deal never went ahead. Naufahu has denied conspiring to import a class A drug, conspiring to supply class B drug pseudoephedrine and three charges of money laundering, namely using $212,796.96 towards purchasing a Bentley, Ford Ranger and a concrete pump. 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. Police bugged cellphones belonging to members and associates of the Comancheros gang, listening live to calls almost a year before raiding the bikies in a major bust. 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. And it came just days after "Mick" Hawi, the former national president of the Comancheros in Australia, was fatally gunned down in a Sydney gym carpark, by two masked men in broad daylight. He told them Naufahu arrived in New Zealand from Australia in early 2016 and quickly went about establishing the New Zealand chapter of the Comancheros. He had admitted participating in an organised criminal group and nine money laundering charges which came from purchasing a swag of expensive vehicles. At trial, the Crowns case was that Naufahu arrived in New Zealand with zero dollars in his bank account. Daniels politely declined to comment to the Herald on Sunday. He is charismatic.". You set up the trusts and lent respectability, as a lawyer, to a criminal organisation.. Jurors are also sitting in front of plastic screens. The Comanchero Motorcycle Club president told the board he had done everything he possibly could in prison to show he was a responsible citizen. "I can't wait to see you again dad. Despite this, Simpson was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. In response, police launched Operation Nova, eventually terminated in April 2019 when most of the Comancheros' hierarchy were arrested and charged with money laundering and participating in an organised criminal group. Earlier, two other men, one of whom will be called as a witness, discuss buying an airplane and whether the particular model could fly all the way from Auckland to Fiji without stopping for fuel. "Wait until you see me then talk to me. Go to the back of the car and put it in the boot, the man says. A trial involving laundering and drug charges againstComanchero president Pasilika Naufahu, Connor Michael Tamati Clausen, accountant Wiwini Himi Hakaraia, a media personality who has name suppression, and a woman also with name suppression is in its third week at the High Court at Auckland. Over the course of three years, more than a million dollars was deposited and withdrawn. "That's my only income," he said to the bank teller. The haul was worth about $20m. For Daniels alone, there were four Range Rovers - with price tags of $175,000, $255,000, $218,000 and $280,000 - a $200,000 Mercedes-Benz, a Lamborghini for $285,000, and two Rolls-Royces, which cost $364,000 and $595,000. By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. 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. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. "Everything that I am today, I owe it all to you. The defence has yet to have its arguments heard. Former ACT president of Comancheros bikie gang Peter Zdravkovic jailed over fraud, drug possession Victoria Police Police Detective Horrific Arrest Melbourne Fight South Possible explosives found in Narre Warren after two Comanchero bikies arrested Melbourne Restaurants Fire Inside Concert Concerts Bikies arrested after Melbourne shootout 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. Vetekina Naufahu joins two other senior members of the Comanchero motorcycle club in admitting charges of money laundering and participating in an organised criminal group following the covert police investigation Operation Nova. Justice Sally Fitzgerald convicted Naufahu of the three offences and scheduled a sentencing date of October 23, 2020, alongside his fellow . Ten days prior to that trial, Naufahu pleaded guilty to four charges of money laundering and one of participating in an organised crime group. Naufahu was jailed for 10 years by Justice Graham Lang in February over his role in a sophisticated money laundering and drugs scheme. He had strong support from his wife and sister and had also completed Saili Matagi, a rehabilitation programme tailored for inmates of Pasifika heritage. File photo. When you work carefully through the glimpse of reality behind the secrets and pretending, the picture is perfectly clear, Johnstone said. We do not accept Mr Naufahu played anything other than a major and significant role in the conspiracy to supply pseudoephedrine.. When detectives told him that an audio device had been covertly installed in his hotel room on Queen St, Rahman said: Oh shit. You clearly knew the money was derived from significant importation of drugs.. Biker News does not belong to or support any Club. "From the way that I talk from the way that I move. More than $1.2m in cash was deposited into Simpsons trust account at his law practice, which was also used to purchase some of the cars belonging to Daniels and allegedly others in the club, as well as real estate such as a $1.3m home in Auckland. Aged between 18 and 24, all are members of the Comancheros gang, said Det. Photo: Michael Craig, A New Zealand chapter of the Comancheros gang was established in 2018 after members were deported from Australia. Justice Sally Fitzgerald convicted Naufahu of the three offences and scheduled a sentencing date of October 23, 2020, alongside his fellow Comanchero Jarome Fonua. But he had endeavoured to provide his wife and four children with the life he never had, he said. The president of the Comanchero Motorcycle Club president Pasilika Naufahu came to New Zealand in 2016 and went about setting up the gang for monetary gain while those around him enjoyed the benefits, the Crown say. The Crown produced other bugged phone calls and photographic evidence of multiple people depositing small sums of money at various banks accounts. This website may contain copyrighted material, the use of which may not have been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. The 33-year-old pleaded guilty to nine charges of money laundering and participating in an organised criminal group, in relation to purchasing a fleet of luxury vehicles worth $2.6 million, including late-model Range Rovers, a Bentley and a Rolls-Royce. Naufahus lawyer Ron Mansfield said his client is a good husband and father to four children, who tried to set up a life in New Zealand after being deported under the 501 scheme. He was also found guilty, alongside patched Comanchero Connor Clausen, of conspiring to supply the Class B drug pseudoephedrine in September 2018. "It's hard to accept the fact, you left us so soon. He was called the Wire Guy because he laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash in wire transfers overseas. The offending was sophisticated, said Justice van Bohemen, with encrypted devices used to avoid detection by police. Naufahu - whose brother Pasilika is the president of the New Zealand chapter of the Australian motorcycle gang - also pleaded guilty to possession of MDMA, or Ecstasy, which is a Class-B controlled drug. In sentencing Daniels who was wearing a Versace top in Comanchero colours of black and gold to four years and eight months in prison, Justice Gerard van Bohemen said the senior club member played a crucial role overseeing the clubs operations for significant personal gain. He had also earlier. Later that day, the man yells at Sha that he is wasting time and is going to blow the deal. He had a number of convictions in Australia, including for violence. Of the dozens of intercepted calls using nicknames and codes played during the trial, none have involved the local Comancheros president until now. The Crown has opened its case against Comancheros gang boss Pasilika Naufahu on drug and money laundering charges. Clausen is charged with conspiring to supply class B drug pseudoephedrine. The trial is set down for four weeks in front of Justice Graham Lang and a jury. "He did not think in any event that programme would be helpful for him because he did not consider he was a violent person and so that would be essentially a waste of time for him.". However, they still ruled the end sentence imposed was excessive and substituted the 10 years to one of nine years imprisonment. Jul 2019. A lawyer was used to set up trusts for Naufahu and other group members. The Australian underworld was left shocked by the high-profile switch, which one source told News.com.au shows that the Comacheros do "what they want, when they want". 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. Ep 936 Hells Angels A violent price to pay **FULL AUDIO**, Ep 936 Pagans Motorcycle Club Causing Panic in Missouri **FULL AUDIO EPISODE**, Pagans Motorcycle Club Causing Panic in Missouri **Video**, IS THE HARLEY SPORTSTER CONSIDERED A GIRLS MOTORCYCLE **VIDEO**, HERE'S THE TRUTH ABOUT UNCLE SHAGGY & THE INVADERS MC, Pagans Motorcycle Club Causing Panic in Missouri, The Pagans MC is Coming the Pagans Are coming #shorts, https://insanethrottleinternational.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/discord-commercial-harley.mp3, https://insanethrottleinternational.files.wordpress.com/2020/09/motorcyclemadhousemayhempromo.mp3. Naufahu of the three offences and scheduled a sentencing date of October 23, 2020, alongside Comanchero! President until now life he never had, he said not belong to or any! 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