Eleven guilty after 17-week drug trial

Eleven people were yesterday found guilty of drugs and firearms charges connected to the drug P after a 17-week long drug trial.

There were gasps of shock and sighs of relief as a jury delivered 48 of 49 verdicts in the High Court in Hamilton.

Today police would not discuss how much of an impact they believed it had made on the region's drug scene, saying the 11 people had still to be sentenced.

Eleven prison guards stood in the back of the court watching over the 12 accused in the trial, which followed a police investigation dubbed Operation Kiwi.

Richard McFall, Nadia McFall, Peter Reyland, Ian Anderson, David Nathan, Nicholas Cartwright, Erana Moore, Joseph Turner, Joseph Moore, Koro Tata, Samuel Howe and Emily Anania faced charges including conspiracy to manufacture and supply methamphetamine and heroin, and firearms charges.

Reyland was absent throughout the trial and police are looking for him. A warrant is out for his arrest.

During the trial the jury was played intercepted phone conversations and other recorded discussions transcribed by police into 2700 pages of notes.

The dealers used code words, such as mince, mutton and meat for the methamphetamine they were supplying from the Hamilton home in Nikau Place.

Richard and Nadia McFall's home in suburban Pukete was the "hub" of a million-dollar drug making conspiracy, Crown prosecutor Philip Crayton told the court after the trial began in April.

He described the business as having several layers -- buying medicines from "shoppers", cooking the methamphetamine, and selling it to suppliers.

Throughout the four-month trial the accused sat separated from each other in the public gallery of the court.

Yesterday they were in one row, some holding hands or with their arms around each other. Some shared hugs and kisses before the verdicts were announced.

Twenty-nine of the 49 verdicts were guilty. It is yet to be decided whether or not a retrial will be held for one undecided verdict, on the charge that Joseph Moore conspired with others to manufacture methamphetamine.

Grandmother Erana Moore was discharged after being found not guilty of all five charges against her -- conspiracy to supply methamphetamine, conspiracy to supply heroin, possession of two revolvers, and possession of ammunition.

On her way out of court Moore blew kisses to her family members still under guard.

Justice Priestley ordered pre-sentence reports for each of the accused to be prepared before sentencing on October 14.

- nzpa