“Insider threats embedded within industries that work across New Zealand’s borders remain a key concern for authorities.”
Most of the Operation Papyrus defendants pleaded guilty to various drug and money laundering offences on the eve of their trial in the Auckland District Court in April.
Court documents released to the Herald reveal the investigation focused on a trio of Killer Beez gang members and their associates dating back to 2021.
The first, Isaiah David Quetin Lepale, admitted his involvement in three drug shipments including the attempted possession of 15kg of meth for supply.
The second, Viliame Alep Samate, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import the 265kg of meth that was intercepted in the US.
The third, who cannot be identified yet for legal reasons, admitted money laundering more than $1 million and supplying methamphetamine.
He was also convicted of attempting to possess 11kg of cocaine for supply after a trial in the Auckland District Court this week.
However, the jury was unable to reach a verdict on his involvement in the 265kg drug plot.
All three of the Killer Beez were also convicted of taking part in an organised criminal group along with two other associates.
Ala Musa Abdulhafiedh Abughazie, 44, was not a member of the gang but worked in concert with, and under the direction, of the Killer Beez as part of the drug syndicate.
“He also directed others in the operation, was motivated by financial gain and had an awareness and understanding of the scale of the operation,” according to a summary of the police case.
Abughazie also admitted his role in three Killer Beez drug shipments, including the conspiracy to import the 265kg consignment of meth from the United States.
It was Abughazie who arranged for the mechanic’s workshop in Auckland, which was owned by an associate, to receive the consignment in March 2023.
The group had previously conducted a “test run” consignment. Customs officials had inspected four wooden boxes, with false floor compartments, containing 150kg of steel plates.
No drugs were found.
This was a “dummy importation”, according to the police, to test the method for a larger drug shipment in the future.
It was during this ruse that an “insider” at DHL Express, a global shipping and logistics company, was exposed.
The Killer Beez is an outlaw motorcycle gang which had three members convicted of various drug dealing, money laundering and organised crime offences following Operation Papyrus. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Janey Seymour Lomu, 35, was working as a receptionist at the Auckland branch office. She also happened to be a longtime friend of Isaiah Lepale.
DHL computer records show that Lomu had placed a “hold” on the test consignment, which meant it could be picked up by the customer.
Security camera footage at the DHL storage facility showed Lomu removing a front scan sticker that contained all the consignment details, and putting the sticker in the rubbish bin.
She also put a hold on the second consignment to the Auckland mechanic that was supposed to hold the 265kg meth shipment.
Unbeknown to Lomu – or the others involved in the smuggling plot – border patrol officials in the US had already removed the drugs.
More security camera footage at DHL showed Lomu looking through the lid of the consignment, as it had been damaged in transport.
DHL computer records showed Lomu made dozens of other searches for an earlier consignment delivered to the mechanic’s address, which she had no legitimate reason to do.
She also sent numerous photographs of her computer screen at work, which contained details of the consignment’s progress, to Isaiah Lepale.
Encrypted messages sent between the Killer Beez group also referred to Lomu as their “customs agent inside”.
The 35-year-old has now pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import methamphetamine and participating in an organised criminal group.
Lomu will be sentenced with the other Operation Papyrus offenders in August.
A spokesperson for DHL Express said they were aware of the prosecution and confirmed that Lomu was no longer employed by the company.
DHL declined to comment further about what measures had been taken to tighten security.
“We take issues of this nature seriously and have always extended full cooperation with the relevant authorities,” the spokesperson said.
“We’re not able to share further details, as they relate to our current and future work with the authorities.”
In recent years, there have been a growing number of examples of organised crime groups recruiting trusted “insiders” working at the border, such as baggage handlers or port workers, to help facilitate the importation of drugs.
In the criminal underworld, this is known as having a “door” into the country.
The corrupted workers at the border are valuable assets for organised crime groups, and are often well-paid for their services.
The growing threat of corruption in New Zealand was real, according to a report written by a group of experts advising the Government on organised crime last year.
The independent panel recommended establishing a central authority to manage reporting and investigation of corruption, modernising out-of-date laws, longer prison sentences, and stronger vetting of employees in high-risk industries as part of a national anti-corruption strategy.
“Compromised police officers, immigration officials and private sector employees in our ports and airports have facilitated drug smuggling, leaked sensitive information and undermined the integrity of our border system,” the ministerial advisory group wrote to Cabinet Minister Casey Costello in June last year.
“These vulnerabilities are not incidental – organised crime groups actively cultivate them … if left unchecked, this cycle will erode the integrity of New Zealand’s institutions and undermine our collective security.”
Jared Savage covers crime and justice issues, with a particular interest in organised crime. He joined the Herald in 2006 and has won a dozen journalism awards in that time, including twice being named Reporter of the Year. He is also the author of Gangland, Gangster’s Paradise and Underworld.