The sister and brother-in-law of the Air New Zealand employee who pleaded guilty to assisting in several meth importations into New Zealand had been sentenced for their roles in laundering the money illegally received from the crimes.
Matangikolo Piukana, who was working for the airlines, is awaiting sentencing. However, police discovered that his sister, Sanlolan Piukana, and her spouse, Sitaleki Maka, were involved in concealing the financial proceeds from the illicit drug activities.
They were sentenced to 12 months of home detention on November 14, a report by the NZ Herald said.
Armed with authority granted by the High Court, the Police tracked the financial trail associated with the illicit drug trade.
The report said that Matangikolo handled money earned from the operation and stored large amounts of cash at the home of his sister and her husband.
Sanlolan Piukana and Maka both pleaded guilty to receiving in relation to the $316,900 found at their Waterview, Auckland home.
The police obtained restraining orders over $316,900 found stashed at Sanlolan’s house and $24,470 in the bedroom of his own home.
As part of that lawsuit, police also gained control of a family bank account containing more than $264,000, but most of that money will be given back as it belongs to relatives of Piukana who were not involved in his crimes.
A High Court decision by Justice Christine Gordon just before Christmas ordered the forfeiture of all the cash and $71,920 of the money in the bank account. In total, $413,290 will become the property of the Crown.
In her judgment, Justice Gordon said police had acknowledged that Matangikolo Piukana did not physically take possession of the methamphetamine that had been brought into the country, but he “facilitated” its importation.
“When the value of the controlled drugs or cash that he handled is taken into account, he must have unlawfully benefited from his role in facilitating the importation of at least 110kg of methamphetamine.”
Matangikolo helped in several meth importations, mainly from Malaysia, and was prosecuted in connection with three consignments of the drug in June and July 2021.
Piukana was a “logistical organiser” of the syndicate, who received orders from the group to assign baggage handling staff to particular flights to collect the imported drugs.
The drugs were then driven off airport grounds without going through the Customs area, the report said.