Jail for man who sold tinnies 'to support children'

An man who claimed he sold cannabis tinnies to provide for his 10 children has been jailed.

The High Court at Whangarei was that Jason Tiri Nahi, 33, was in a long-standing relationship with his partner with eight of their 10 children under 10.

Justice Hugh Williams said Nahi told probation officers he sold cannabis tinnies in order to buy food, clothes and toys for his children.

Though being fit and able to work, he instead chose to stay home and smoke three to four cannabis joints a day, Justice Williams said.

Nahi was yesterday sentenced in the court to two years and nine months jail.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to four counts of selling cannabis and one count of possessing cannabis for sale.

Nahi was arrested during Operation Maverick after selling a total of nine cannabis tinnies to undercover officers on three occasions between September last year and November, the court heard.

Police executed a search warrant of the Whangarei house he was staying at on February 16 and found a bag with cannabis tinnies inside and $80 cash, which Nahi admitted came from selling the drug.

"Cannabis offending of (Nahi's) sort is endemic in Northland and a reason for Operation Maverick was to try and curtail these types of tinny houses which are so destructive in so many small Northland communities," Crown prosecutor Anna Patterson said.

Operation Maverick was a covert police operation aimed at drug criminals and organised crime in Whangarei and the Far North.

Undercover officers visited houses and bought drugs between August and November last year, leading to a total of 71 arrests for more than 200 serious drug-dealing and property- related charges.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)