#Comanchero gang raids

[jaredsavage-nzheraldnews]

Comanchero gang raids: President's brother pleads guilty

Vetekina Naufahu joins two other senior members of the Comanchero motorcycle gang in admitting charges of money laundering and participating in an organised criminal group following the covert police investigation Operation Nova.

Once nothing more than a mystery caller on the end of the phone line, the man who smuggled methamphetamine from Mexico into New Zealand for the Comancheros gang will now serve a long prison sent...

A senior Comanchero gang member has admitted charges of money laundering and participating in an organised criminal group, just weeks before his trial was due to start.

Vetekina Naufahu pleaded guilty to three charges at a High Court hearing this morning, held by audio-visual link because of the Covid-19 lockdown in Auckland.

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.

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.

Justice Sally Fitzgerald convicted Naufahu of the three offences and scheduled a sentencing date of October 23, 2020, alongside his fellow Comanchero Jarome Fonua.

Last week, the gang's treasurer Fonua also pleaded guilty to money laundering and participating in an organised criminal group.

The late admissions come shortly before the pair were due to stand trial at the High Court in September, along with other members of the gang and their associates on charges laid in April 2019 following Operation Nova.

Vetekina and Fonua now join Tyson Daniels, the gang's vice-president, and Auckland lawyer Andrew Simpson in being convicted of laundering criminal profits.

Nearly $1.3 million in cash was deposited into the lawyer's trust account, which was then used to purchase expensive cars and property.

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.

A charge of participating in an organised criminal group between May 2017 and April 2019 was also admitted by Daniels, who was living in the affluent Auckland suburb of Mellons Bay until his arrest in April last year.

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 gang member played a crucial role overseeing the gang's operations for significant personal gain.

The offending was sophisticated, said Justice van Bohemen, with encrypted devices used to avoid detection by police.

Money was deposited at banks in amounts less than $10,000, in a bid to avoid triggering the banks' reporting threshold, then funnelled through trust and company accounts to disguise their criminal origins.

"You clearly knew the money was derived from significant importation of drugs."

More than $1.2m in cash was deposited into Simpson's trust account at his law practice, which was also used to purchase some of the cars belonging to Daniels and allegedly others in the gang, as well as real estate such as a $1.3m home in Auckland.

Justice van Bohemen said Simpson was the facilitator of the money-laundering scheme, who used his specialist skills and knowledge as a lawyer.

"You made it work. You set up the trusts and lent respectability, as a lawyer, to a criminal organisation."

Simpson was reckless and brought the legal profession into disrepute, however, the judge was satisfied he was genuine in his remorse.

Despite this, Simpson was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison.

"I deeply regret a father being separated from his family. However, that is a consequence of your decisions."

Neither man was charged with drug offences.

But the police allege the Comanchero, an Australian gang which set up shop in New Zealand after a number of senior members were deported here, are behind significant drug smuggling linked to a Mexican cartel.

In July, a 60-year-old man who travelled to Mexico was sentenced to 16 years in prison after pleading guilty to four charges of importing a Class A drug after being identified in Operation Nova.

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.

Once in New Zealand, the police allege the drugs were distributed by "frontmen" for the Comanchero, whose hierarchy allegedly reaped the rewards of the illicit trade.

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.

He said: "You're going to start off with a nice number with two zeroes. I'm going to land it between you and me ... [I'll give you] all the f***en work you can handle. We're going to land it there [in New Zealand]."

The cheap wholesale price of $120,000 per kilogram was agreed to by both parties, in a deal the police believed would weigh at least 100kg ("a nice number with two zeros").

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.

Everything went quiet until Rahman flew into Auckland International Airport on December 18, 2018, and checked into a hotel on Queen St, the Four Points by Sheraton.

Three days later, Rahman's son checked into the same hotel and was seen meeting with another man, a 19-year-old Mexican national, who also cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Two days before Christmas, December 23, 2018, Rahman left New Zealand but not before receiving a backpack full of cash.

Around the same time, a consignment of a kitchen stovetops shipped from the United States had been seized by Customs and examined. There was nearly 5kg of methamphetamine inside.

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.

Rahman returned to New Zealand and was arrested by the National Organised Crime Group, along with the 19-year-old from Mexico and a 33-year-old Chinese man called Hui Wang. He was called the "Wire Guy" because he laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash in wire transfers overseas.

Search warrants were also executed at the home linked to Rahman in Suva where Fijian Police discovered 39kg of cocaine, presumably destined for the Australian and New Zealand markets. The haul was worth about $20m.

When brought in for questioning by police, Rahman claimed to be in New Zealand on holiday.

When detectives told him that an audio device had been covertly installed in his hotel room on Queen St, Rahman said: "Oh shit".

[city24times]

Tallat Rahman sentenced for importing methamphetamine from Mexico

Police raided the Comancheros gang in April 2019, seizing millions in cash, a $595,000 Bentley, Range Rover and gold-plated Harley Davidsons in Operation Nova. 

The Comancheros gang established themselves in New Zealand after senior members were deported from Australia. A covert investigation by the National Organised Crime Group targeted the gang's leadership, associates, as well as white-collar professionals who helped them launder the profits of an alleged drug dealing empire. Tallat Rahman claimed to be on holiday until the police revealed his hotel room was bugged - his reaction was priceless.

Once nothing more than a mystery caller on the end of the phone line, the man who smuggled methamphetamine from Mexico into New Zealand for the Comancheros gang will now serve a long prison sentence.

Tallat Rahman pleaded guilty to four charges of importing methamphetamine from Mexico to New Zealand and was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment by the Auckland District Court. The Director of the FIU, Mr Razim Buksh, said that this is an excellent outcome of law enforcement co- operation and networking.

60-year-old man from Suva has been sentenced to 16-years imprisonment in New Zealand.

Tallat Rahman was arrested in February last year in Operation Nova for his involvement in importing Class A drug.

The Auckland District Court heard Rahman imported methamphetamine from Mexico and New Zealand which was identified in a covert investigation known as Operation Nova.

The 60-year-old was arrested in the first phase of the inquiry last year following the discovery of $5m worth of methamphetamine hidden inside kitchen appliances.

[cstnews]

Comanchero gang raids: Jarome Fonua pleads guilty to money laundering, participating in an organised criminal group

A senior Comancheros gang member has admitted charges of money laundering and participating in an organised criminal group - changing his plea just a few weeks ahead of his trial. Jarome Fonua entered guilty pleas to the offences this morning at a High Court hearing, held by audio-visual link because of the Covid-19 lockdown in Auckland.

Once nothing more than a mystery caller on the end of the phone line, the man who smuggled methamphetamine from Mexico into New Zealand for the Comancheros gang will now serve a long prison

Vetekina Naufahu joins two other senior members of the Comanchero motorcycle gang in admitting charges of money laundering and participating in an organised criminal group following the covert police investigation Operation Nova. A senior Comanchero gang member has admitted charges of money laundering and participating in an organised criminal group, just weeks before his trial was due to start.

Vetekina Naufahu pleaded guilty to three charges at a High Court hearing this morning, held by audio-visual link because of the Covid-19 lockdown in Auckland.

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.

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.

Justice Sally Fitzgerald convicted Naufahu of the three offences and scheduled a sentencing date of October 23, 2020, alongside his fellow Comanchero Jarome Fonua.

Last week, the gang's treasurer Fonua also pleaded guilty to money laundering and participating in an organised criminal group. The late admissions come shortly before the pair were due to stand trial at the High Court in September, along with other members of the gang and their associates on charges laid in April 2019 following Operation Nova.

Vetekina and Fonua now join Tyson Daniels, the gang's vice-president, and Auckland lawyer Andrew Simpson in being convicted of laundering criminal profits.

Nearly $1.3 million in cash was deposited into the lawyer's trust account, which was then used to purchase expensive cars and property.

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.

A charge of participating in an organised criminal group between May 2017 and April 2019 was also admitted by Daniels, who was living in the affluent Auckland suburb of Mellons Bay until his arrest in April last year. 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 gang member played a crucial role overseeing the gang's operations for significant personal gain.

The offending was sophisticated, said Justice van Bohemen, with encrypted devices used to avoid detection by police.

Money was deposited at banks in amounts less than $10,000, in a bid to avoid triggering the banks' reporting threshold, then funnelled through trust and company accounts to disguise their criminal origins.

"You clearly knew the money was derived from significant importation of drugs."

More than $1.2m in cash was deposited into Simpson's trust account at his law practice, which was also used to purchase some of the cars belonging to Daniels and allegedly others in the gang, as well as real estate such as a $1.3m home in Auckland.

Justice van Bohemen said Simpson was the facilitator of the money-laundering scheme, who used his specialist skills and knowledge as a lawyer.

"You made it work. You set up the trusts and lent respectability, as a lawyer, to a criminal organisation."

Simpson was reckless and brought the legal profession into disrepute, however, the judge was satisfied he was genuine in his remorse.

Despite this, Simpson was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison.

"I deeply regret a father being separated from his family. However, that is a consequence of your decisions."

Neither man was charged with drug offences.

But the police allege the Comanchero, an Australian gang which set up shop in New Zealand after a number of senior members were deported here, are behind significant drug smuggling linked to a Mexican cartel. In July, a 60-year-old man who travelled to Mexico was sentenced to 16 years in prison after pleading guilty to four charges of importing a Class A drug after being identified in Operation Nova.

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.

Once in New Zealand, the police allege the drugs were distributed by "frontmen" for the Comanchero, whose hierarchy allegedly reaped the rewards of the illicit trade.

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.

He said: "You're going to start off with a nice number with two zeroes. I'm going to land it between you and me … [I'll give you] all the f***en work you can handle. We're going to land it there [in New Zealand]." The cheap wholesale price of $120,000 per kilogram was agreed to by both parties, in a deal the police believed would weigh at least 100kg ("a nice number with two zeros").

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.

Everything went quiet until Rahman flew into Auckland International Airport on December 18, 2018, and checked into a hotel on Queen St, the Four Points by Sheraton.

Three days later, Rahman's son checked into the same hotel and was seen meeting with another man, a 19-year-old Mexican national, who also cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Two days before Christmas, December 23, 2018, Rahman left New Zealand but not before receiving a backpack full of cash.

Around the same time, a consignment of a kitchen stovetops shipped from the United States had been seized by Customs and examined. There was nearly 5kg of methamphetamine inside.

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.

Rahman returned to New Zealand and was arrested by the National Organised Crime Group, along with the 19-year-old from Mexico and a 33-year-old Chinese man called Hui Wang. He was called the "Wire Guy" because he laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash in wire transfers overseas. Search warrants were also executed at the home linked to Rahman in Suva where Fijian Police discovered 39kg of cocaine, presumably destined for the Australian and New Zealand markets. The haul was worth about $20m.

When brought in for questioning by police, Rahman claimed to be in New Zealand on holiday.

When detectives told him that an audio device had been covertly installed in his hotel room on Queen St, Rahman said: "Oh shit".

Roy Richey

[sdtnews]

Comanchero gang raids: Jarome Fonua pleads guilty to money laundering, participating in an organised criminal group

A senior Comancheros gang member has admitted charges of money laundering and participating in an organised criminal group - changing his plea just a few weeks ahead of his trial. Jarome Fonua entered guilty pleas to the offences this morning at a High Court hearing, held by audio-visual link because of the Covid-19 lockdown in Auckland.

Once nothing more than a mystery caller on the end of the phone line, the man who smuggled methamphetamine from Mexico into New Zealand for the Comancheros gang will now serve a long prison

Vetekina Naufahu joins two other senior members of the Comanchero motorcycle gang in admitting charges of money laundering and participating in an organised criminal group following the covert police investigation Operation Nova. A senior Comanchero gang member has admitted charges of money laundering and participating in an organised criminal group, just weeks before his trial was due to start.

Vetekina Naufahu pleaded guilty to three charges at a High Court hearing this morning, held by audio-visual link because of the Covid-19 lockdown in Auckland.

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.

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.

Justice Sally Fitzgerald convicted Naufahu of the three offences and scheduled a sentencing date of October 23, 2020, alongside his fellow Comanchero Jarome Fonua.

Last week, the gang's treasurer Fonua also pleaded guilty to money laundering and participating in an organised criminal group. The late admissions come shortly before the pair were due to stand trial at the High Court in September, along with other members of the gang and their associates on charges laid in April 2019 following Operation Nova.

Vetekina and Fonua now join Tyson Daniels, the gang's vice-president, and Auckland lawyer Andrew Simpson in being convicted of laundering criminal profits.

Nearly $1.3 million in cash was deposited into the lawyer's trust account, which was then used to purchase expensive cars and property.

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.

A charge of participating in an organised criminal group between May 2017 and April 2019 was also admitted by Daniels, who was living in the affluent Auckland suburb of Mellons Bay until his arrest in April last year. 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 gang member played a crucial role overseeing the gang's operations for significant personal gain.

The offending was sophisticated, said Justice van Bohemen, with encrypted devices used to avoid detection by police.

Money was deposited at banks in amounts less than $10,000, in a bid to avoid triggering the banks' reporting threshold, then funnelled through trust and company accounts to disguise their criminal origins.

"You clearly knew the money was derived from significant importation of drugs."

More than $1.2m in cash was deposited into Simpson's trust account at his law practice, which was also used to purchase some of the cars belonging to Daniels and allegedly others in the gang, as well as real estate such as a $1.3m home in Auckland.

Justice van Bohemen said Simpson was the facilitator of the money-laundering scheme, who used his specialist skills and knowledge as a lawyer.

"You made it work. You set up the trusts and lent respectability, as a lawyer, to a criminal organisation."

Simpson was reckless and brought the legal profession into disrepute, however, the judge was satisfied he was genuine in his remorse.

Despite this, Simpson was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison.

"I deeply regret a father being separated from his family. However, that is a consequence of your decisions."

Neither man was charged with drug offences.

But the police allege the Comanchero, an Australian gang which set up shop in New Zealand after a number of senior members were deported here, are behind significant drug smuggling linked to a Mexican cartel. In July, a 60-year-old man who travelled to Mexico was sentenced to 16 years in prison after pleading guilty to four charges of importing a Class A drug after being identified in Operation Nova.

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.

Once in New Zealand, the police allege the drugs were distributed by "frontmen" for the Comanchero, whose hierarchy allegedly reaped the rewards of the illicit trade.

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.

He said: "You're going to start off with a nice number with two zeroes. I'm going to land it between you and me … [I'll give you] all the f***en work you can handle. We're going to land it there [in New Zealand]." The cheap wholesale price of $120,000 per kilogram was agreed to by both parties, in a deal the police believed would weigh at least 100kg ("a nice number with two zeros").

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.

Everything went quiet until Rahman flew into Auckland International Airport on December 18, 2018, and checked into a hotel on Queen St, the Four Points by Sheraton.

Three days later, Rahman's son checked into the same hotel and was seen meeting with another man, a 19-year-old Mexican national, who also cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Two days before Christmas, December 23, 2018, Rahman left New Zealand but not before receiving a backpack full of cash.

Around the same time, a consignment of a kitchen stovetops shipped from the United States had been seized by Customs and examined. There was nearly 5kg of methamphetamine inside.

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.

Rahman returned to New Zealand and was arrested by the National Organised Crime Group, along with the 19-year-old from Mexico and a 33-year-old Chinese man called Hui Wang. He was called the "Wire Guy" because he laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash in wire transfers overseas. Search warrants were also executed at the home linked to Rahman in Suva where Fijian Police discovered 39kg of cocaine, presumably destined for the Australian and New Zealand markets. The haul was worth about $20m.

When brought in for questioning by police, Rahman claimed to be in New Zealand on holiday.

When detectives told him that an audio device had been covertly installed in his hotel room on Queen St, Rahman said: "Oh shit".

Darren Yaw

[tftnewws]

Comanchero gang raids: Jarome Fonua pleads guilty to money laundering, participating in an organised criminal group

A senior Comancheros gang member has admitted charges of money laundering and participating in an organised criminal group - changing his plea just a few weeks ahead of his trial. Jarome Fonua entered guilty pleas to the offences this morning at a High Court hearing, held by audio-visual link because of the Covid-19 lockdown in Auckland.

Once nothing more than a mystery caller on the end of the phone line, the man who smuggled methamphetamine from Mexico into New Zealand for the Comancheros gang will now serve a long prison 

Vetekina Naufahu joins two other senior members of the Comanchero motorcycle gang in admitting charges of money laundering and participating in an organised criminal group following the covert police investigation Operation Nova. A senior Comanchero gang member has admitted charges of money laundering and participating in an organised criminal group, just weeks before his trial was due to start.

Vetekina Naufahu pleaded guilty to three charges at a High Court hearing this morning, held by audio-visual link because of the Covid-19 lockdown in Auckland.

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.

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.

Justice Sally Fitzgerald convicted Naufahu of the three offences and scheduled a sentencing date of October 23, 2020, alongside his fellow Comanchero Jarome Fonua.

Last week, the gang's treasurer Fonua also pleaded guilty to money laundering and participating in an organised criminal group. The late admissions come shortly before the pair were due to stand trial at the High Court in September, along with other members of the gang and their associates on charges laid in April 2019 following Operation Nova.

Vetekina and Fonua now join Tyson Daniels, the gang's vice-president, and Auckland lawyer Andrew Simpson in being convicted of laundering criminal profits.

Nearly $1.3 million in cash was deposited into the lawyer's trust account, which was then used to purchase expensive cars and property.

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.

A charge of participating in an organised criminal group between May 2017 and April 2019 was also admitted by Daniels, who was living in the affluent Auckland suburb of Mellons Bay until his arrest in April last year. 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 gang member played a crucial role overseeing the gang's operations for significant personal gain.

The offending was sophisticated, said Justice van Bohemen, with encrypted devices used to avoid detection by police.

Money was deposited at banks in amounts less than $10,000, in a bid to avoid triggering the banks' reporting threshold, then funnelled through trust and company accounts to disguise their criminal origins.

"You clearly knew the money was derived from significant importation of drugs."

More than $1.2m in cash was deposited into Simpson's trust account at his law practice, which was also used to purchase some of the cars belonging to Daniels and allegedly others in the gang, as well as real estate such as a $1.3m home in Auckland.

Justice van Bohemen said Simpson was the facilitator of the money-laundering scheme, who used his specialist skills and knowledge as a lawyer.

"You made it work. You set up the trusts and lent respectability, as a lawyer, to a criminal organisation."

Simpson was reckless and brought the legal profession into disrepute, however, the judge was satisfied he was genuine in his remorse.

Despite this, Simpson was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison.

"I deeply regret a father being separated from his family. However, that is a consequence of your decisions."

Neither man was charged with drug offences.

But the police allege the Comanchero, an Australian gang which set up shop in New Zealand after a number of senior members were deported here, are behind significant drug smuggling linked to a Mexican cartel. In July, a 60-year-old man who travelled to Mexico was sentenced to 16 years in prison after pleading guilty to four charges of importing a Class A drug after being identified in Operation Nova.

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.

Once in New Zealand, the police allege the drugs were distributed by "frontmen" for the Comanchero, whose hierarchy allegedly reaped the rewards of the illicit trade.

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.

He said: "You're going to start off with a nice number with two zeroes. I'm going to land it between you and me … [I'll give you] all the f***en work you can handle. We're going to land it there [in New Zealand]." The cheap wholesale price of $120,000 per kilogram was agreed to by both parties, in a deal the police believed would weigh at least 100kg ("a nice number with two zeros").

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.

Everything went quiet until Rahman flew into Auckland International Airport on December 18, 2018, and checked into a hotel on Queen St, the Four Points by Sheraton.

Three days later, Rahman's son checked into the same hotel and was seen meeting with another man, a 19-year-old Mexican national, who also cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Two days before Christmas, December 23, 2018, Rahman left New Zealand but not before receiving a backpack full of cash.

Around the same time, a consignment of a kitchen stovetops shipped from the United States had been seized by Customs and examined. There was nearly 5kg of methamphetamine inside.

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.

Rahman returned to New Zealand and was arrested by the National Organised Crime Group, along with the 19-year-old from Mexico and a 33-year-old Chinese man called Hui Wang. He was called the "Wire Guy" because he laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash in wire transfers overseas. Search warrants were also executed at the home linked to Rahman in Suva where Fijian Police discovered 39kg of cocaine, presumably destined for the Australian and New Zealand markets. The haul was worth about $20m.

When brought in for questioning by police, Rahman claimed to be in New Zealand on holiday.

When detectives told him that an audio device had been covertly installed in his hotel room on Queen St, Rahman said: "Oh shit".

David Walters

[michigandrifter]

Lee Marvin 1924-87

[insanethrottlebikernews]

Five people have been arrested in raids linked to the Comanchero biker gang

Five people have been arrested in raids linked to the Comanchero biker gang

Subscribe for Free to the #1 Biker Channel on YouTube. Get access to our video archive and shows like Biker Angle Biker News and Motorcycle Madhouse Shorts

By 9News Staff

Five people have been arrested in raids across Melbourne by police investigating a drug trafficking syndicate linked to the Comanchero bikie gang. Officers from Victoria Police, the Australian Border Force and the Australian…

[newschurn]

Police raids lead to the arrest of senior Bandido and Comanchero members

Police raids lead to the arrest of senior Bandido and Comanchero members

Two senior bikies will face court after police launched a crackdown on organised criminal networks following a gangland shooting in Greenacre. Tarek Zahed, the national sergeant-at-arms for the Comanchero bikie gang, was arrested by police after allegedly contravening a serious crime prevention order. Around 10am on Friday, the 41-year-old was charged with failing to notify police that he was…

[leanpick]

Comanchero Craig Brian Brown charged with trafficking 600 grams of meth following Midland police raid

Comanchero Craig Brian Brown charged with trafficking 600 grams of meth following Midland police raid

A Comanchero bikie has allegedly been caught trafficking more than half a kilogram of meth through Perth’s east as part of a national police sting against the outlaw motorcycle gang.

[bangkokjacknews]

Manhunt for British Hell's Angel after Pattaya meth arrests

Thai police are hunting a British gang kingpin after three suspected Hells Angels members were arrested in a series of drug raids in #Pattaya.

Tihomer Stojic, 47, was detained in Buriram province on Thursday. Officers allegedly found 20 grams of methamphetamine hidden in the glove compartment and back seat of the Australian's car. Simultaneous raids in Pattaya - a resort city near Bangkok dubbed "Sin City" for its high number of sex workers - saw fellow Australians Jamie Hansom, 46, and Steven Hovi, 58, arrested as well. Their Thai girlfriends were also taken into custody as well as Nigerian Chimezie Duru, 38. Police claim to have uncovered 1.1kg of meth at their respective homes, along with a gun, drug paraphernalia, mobile phone and bank slips showing transactions of more than 1 million baht (£25,000). All three suspects are believed to be connected to the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, which is said to have become key players in the drug trafficking trade across Asia. Police allege the gang were targeting tourists as meth customers.

Chimezie Duru was among those arrested in drug raids in Pattaya. (Image: ViralPress) Thai police are now on the hunt for Christoper Depp, a British national believed to be the head of the Pattaya drugs cell. The group is believed to also have connections to the Comancheros, an Australian motorcycle gang which has also been implicated in drug trafficking as well as a high-profile murder in Auckland, New Zealand in 2018. Read the full article

[rideordiemagazine]

Comanchero gang raids: Police want quick sale of luxury cars and Harley-Davidsons The Police Commissioner wants to sell luxury cars and Harley-Davidson motorcycles belonging to members of the Comanchero gang.

[insanethrottle]

Comanchero and Rebels members told to bash on sight as war escalates: Police anti-bikie unit Strike Force Raptor raids Gladiators Maitland clubhouse in Portland Street

Comanchero and Rebels members told to bash on sight as war escalates: Police anti-bikie unit Strike Force Raptor raids Gladiators Maitland clubhouse in Portland Street

The 3 book series. The New Age of Biking & Brotherhood and The Legitimate Motorcycle Club now out. Nov 1st Iron Order Motorcycle Club – The Year that changed the MC scene will be released on paperback and kindle

The West Australian

Police officers have been warned to exercise extreme caution when approaching members of two warring bikie gangs after feuding members were given “bash-on-sight”…

[thewebofslime]

It's not a good time to be a Comanchero, police say, as a factional war in the outlaw bikie gang plays out on Melbourne's streets. Anti-bikie police believe violent infighting in the Comanchero bikie gang has led to two brazen murder attempts. Police say the gang's national president Mick Murray, who is currently behind bars, is fighting with a former leader Amad "Jay" Malkoun. Former Comanchero boss Amad 'Jay' Malkoun is believed to be in Greece. The feud between the two has filtered down to the club's members who have aligned themselves with either man. The long term members of the club are firmly in the Malkoun camp, while the newer members are loyal to Murray, police believe. Comancheros president Mick Murray. In the most recent incident, two hooded gunmen stormed a suburban tattoo parlour in Melbourne’s south-east. The men, armed with semi-automatic guns, ran into the Nitro Ink parlour in Hampton Park in the early afternoon on February 22. Their target was high-ranking Comanchero and former right-hand man to Murray, Robert Ale. Ale, 36, was on the tattooist's table when he was shot more than six times in the upper body. Despite his life-threatening injuries, Ale survived the attack. CCTV footage released on Monday shows four bystanders running for their lives as the gunmen enter the tattoo parlour, fire nine shots and then flee. Bystanders are seen fleeing as two gunmen storm Nitro Ink in Hampton Park in February.CREDIT:VICTORIA POLICE Stray bullets entered a nearby real estate agency and solicitor's office. One bullet ploughed through a wall only centimetres from where an office worker was sitting at her desk. The tattoo parlour, which has since closed, was linked to Murray, along with the Nitro Gym in the neighbouring suburb of Hallam. The shooting happened on the same day former Sydney Comanchero boss Mick Hawi was being farewelled after being shot dead outside a gym in NSW. Police don't believe the attempt on Ale's life and Hawi's death are connected in any way. Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Paul Topham said police are still investigating how the men knew their victim would be there. "It's not a good time to be a member of the Comancheros," he said. "The offenders knew the victim would be there at the time of the shooting and they went there with the sole purpose to try and kill the victim." A police officer guards the Nitro Ink tattoo parlor after February's shooting.CREDIT:JOE ARMAO Another gang member, a 33-year-old Tullamarine man, was left fighting for his life after being ambushed and shot six times when he was lured to a meeting in Reservoir on August 8 last year. The attack happened just metres from homes, with witnesses saying they heard screaming before the sound of bullets. A silver sedan used during the crime was found burnt out in Epping a short time later. Both Ale and the unidentified 33-year-old man may have recently fallen out with Murray, police say. Acting Senior Sergeant Paul Topham said both shootings were believed to be carried out by members aligned with Murray. Malkoun was president of the Comancheros Victorian chapter from 2013 to 2014 before he left the country. Former Comanchero president Amad 'Jay' Malkoun. Despite being overseas for more than two years, police say Malkoun is still an influential figure in the Comancheros. Malkoun is a convicted drug trafficker who was present at the abduction of international drug trafficker Wayne Rodney Schneider in Thailand in 2015. He is believed to now live in the ritzy Athens seaside suburb of Glyfada known as the "Hellenic Hamptons". It's believed he has since established a power base in Greece with gang members in Russia. Meanwhile, Murray was jailed for eight months in March for failing to co-operate with an unrelated police investigation. The 40-year-old was hauled before Victoria's chief examiner to be quizzed about four serious alleged offences. He refused to answer questions, saying: "I'm not a dog." Police believe the dispute between Murray and Malkoun has spilled across interstate chapters, with a brawl in Canberra also believed to be linked to the battle between the warring factions. Ale was the subject of a major police raid two weeks ago when police swooped on Melbourne law firms, accountancy businesses, brothels and tattoo parlours in a money-laundering investigation targeting the wealth of the Comanchero bikie gang. Underworld figure, Nabil Moughnieh – formerly known as Nabil Maghnie – who miraculously drove himself to a hospital after being shot in the head in 2016, was also part of the raid. High-ranking Comanchero bikie Roberto Morando, who was almost killed when he was ambushed by a gunman in 2015 and blasted in the torso near his Narre Warren South home, was also part of the major investigation.

[jose11sykes-blog]

Twenty-one arrested as Comancheros targeted in anti-bikie raids across Melbourne

A massive early-morning raid targeting the Comanchero bikie gang has seen raids on 25 residential and commercial properties across Melbourne.

[insanethrottlebikernews]

Senior leaders of the Comancheros and Rebels gangs have been arrested and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash

Senior leaders of the Comancheros and Rebels gangs have been arrested and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash

Senior leaders of the Comancheros and Rebels gangs have been arrested and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash seized following a raft of armed police raids across Auckland and Christchurch.

Police have arrested 12 more people today as part of Operation Cincinnati and located drugs, some of which was ready for sale, and a shotgun after executing 24 search warrants

Police searched 21…

[frankkmartin25-blog]

20 people arrested in raids targeting Comancheros bikie members across Melbourne

More than 2O people linked to the Comancheros outlaw bikie gang are expected to be charged over shootings, arson attacks and drug trafficking after pre-dawn raids across Melbourne.

Twenty have already been arrested since police stormed 27 residential and commercial properties linked to the gang around Melbourne at 5am this morning.

Drugs, cars and cash have been seized, Victoria Police say.

Assistant commissioner Stephen Fontana says firebombings and shootings are believed to be linked to the Comancheros.

"We believe that they are responsible for up to 21 non-fatal shootings, four arson attacks, serious drug trafficking and firearms-related offences," he says in an interview Victoria Police have posted on Facebook.

"It is anticipated that up to 21 individuals will be interviewed and charged with serious offences including drug trafficking, criminal damage by fire and a number of drive-by shootings causing injury to others."

He said that some people linked to the gang were behind a series of firebomb attacks on strip clubs in the south Melbourne area.

In February last year police suggested a breakaway gang of bikie thugs was behind an explosion that destroyed a Kittens strip club in Caulfield South.

Police said at the time bikies were trying to muscle back in on security contracts they had lost during an internal split 18 months earlier.

During raids today at one property in Lyndhurst, near Cranbourne, 45km southeast of the CBD, cars were impounded.

Neighbour Bhavita Patel said she felt the street was unsafe for children after learning of bikies living so close.

"I heard a bit of yelling, and then the smash at five o'clock in the morning," she said.

The anti-bikie Echo Taskforce has executed a number of raids across the city over the past 12 months, arresting both Comanchero and Rebels members and seizing weapons and drugs.

Police are expected to reveal further details at a press conference later today.