Two men have been jailed after making 2.3kg of methamphetamine - worth up to $3.5 million - in a rented Whangamata bach.
Marrick Maxwell Davis, 29 and his Matamata associate Tuputaingakawa Mark, 25, appeared for sentencing in the Tauranga District Court via a video link from Auckland yesterday after pleading guilty to charges of possessing methamphetamine for supply earlier this year.
Judge Paul Mabey QC sentenced Davis to eight years' jail and Mark to seven years and four months.
According to court documents, on February 23 last year Davis and Mark used fake names - Shannon and Poto - to book a house on Tirohanga Dr in Whangamata through the Bachcare holiday home rental website.
A week later, on March 1, they turned up to the address and made a batch of the Class A drug by pouring acetone over what was described as a "solid compound".
They left the house, taking the meth with them and leaving some of the drug ingredients and equipment behind.
Midmorning the next day a Bachcare staff member went to the house and was concerned to see windows left wide open in wet weather. Inside they discovered the drug paraphernalia and called the police.
Police searched the property and called in a clan lab team to seize evidence.
When the police were done, the Bachcare staff member had the locks changed.
When Davis and Mark returned later that evening they discovered they were locked out and left, but a neighbour spotted them and police tracked the pair down shortly after, in separate cars.
Police seized 2.332kg of meth.
Mark admitted the offending to police and told them he had needed to "make some cash".
In court, both offenders had time taken off their sentences for their guilty pleas and Mark was credited for good behaviour while on bail - though Judge Mabey said Mark did remove his monitoring bracelet and disappear for three days before turning himself in just before he was due in court.
"You fell at the last hurdle," Judge Mabey said.
Davis had been in custody since being arrested in March last year.
Judge Mabey ordered the destruction of the drugs and drug paraphernalia seized.
The Crown estimated the drugs would be worth $1.8 million if sold in ounce lots or around $3.5 million if sold in point bags.
Possession of methamphetamine for supply carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.