Former Warriors rugby icon Manu Vatuvei admits importing methamphetamine | Stuff.co.nz

Former rugby league star Manu Vatuvei has admitted importing methamphetamine.

The Warriors icon was charged in December 2019 with possessing methamphetamine for supply and importing the Class A drug.

He previously denied the charges and earlier this year said he would “fight for his innocence” after he outed himself as the sportsman behind the charges.

On Wednesday, Vatuvei appeared at Manukau District Court where he admitted a representative charge of importing methamphetamine. The remaining charges will be withdrawn, the Crown said.

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Vatuvei was set to start trial on October 4, alongside his brother Lopini Mafi, and another man for a methamphetamine sting back in 2019.

Mafi admitted the charges last month, the other man is still set to go to trial.

Crown prosecutor Jessica Pridgeon opposed bail for Vatuvei.

Judge Jonathan Moses convicted Vatuvei of the charges and granted his application for bail on a curfew, until sentencing in December alongside his brother.

Judge Moses said granting Vatuvei bail was no indication of the sentence he would impose.

Vatuvei was once the pride of New Zealand rugby league, playing 226 games for the Warriors, 29 tests for the Kiwis and two more for Mate Ma’a Tonga.

His bid for name suppression was rejected by Judge David McIlraith in 2020 and later by Justice Rebecca Edwards at the High Court in April. Both times name suppression was opposed by Stuff.

Vatuvei retired from professional rugby league due to injury in 2017, after a career spanning more than 13 years.

He went on to participate in a number of charity drives, including a Fight for Life boxing match.

He won Dancing With the Stars in 2019, then embarked on a new career in real estate.

However, his employer noted at a court appearance in November that a loss of name suppression would cause it to “reconsider” the 35-year-old’s employment.

In October 2019, Counties Manukau Police and Customs officers began investigating an importation of methamphetamine by the defendants.

All packages were coordinated and delivered through New Zealand Post’s track and trace system, addressed to variations of associates’ names.

Phone data from Mafi’s phone showed he arranged a number of imports through a contact in Africa called “Big Boss”.

“Big Boss” would send photos to Mafi of the package and where the methamphetamine was hidden inside.

Phone data on Mafi’s phone showed videos and photographs of Vatuvei and Mafi opening two of the imports.

During the investigation, police determined Mafi was the chief in organising the imports, but Vatuvei assisted with import arrangements, directing others and making enquiries about packages.

The police investigation also found the defendants had imported, or attempted to import, a number of packages with unknown quantities of the drug. These imports were not intercepted.

In total, the defendants imported 2.056kg of methamphetamine across four separate importations which were intercepted.

Vatuvei was involved in one intercepted import totalling 487 grams, as well as one import which was not intercepted.

In September 2019, a package was intercepted and Vatuvei called the DHL customer call centre enquiring about an import.

Twelve days after that, another package arrived from India addressed to a Papatoetoe address.

It was received and Mafi communicated with “Big Boss” showing Mafi and another person unpacking hair accessories before he found the drugs.

Photographs and videos of Vatuvei and Mafi were sent to “Big Boss” showing the pair sorting through the packages before removing nine packets of methamphetamine.

On October 23, 2019, a package from Africa arrived addressed to a man in Manurewa, listed with Mafi’s number.

That day Vatuvei and another defendant called and sent text messages to each other, arranging pick up.

At 11.52am, Vatuvei sent a text saying: “we on. Call you soon”.

Later that night, he sent another text to an associate saying: “just packed some stuff up but yeah you want me to bring you that bad stuff to check it properly”.

On November 21, police successfully obtained a surveillance device warrant for the phones of Vatuvei and Mafi.

In the early hours of November 26 that year, Vatuvei was texting an unknown person saying a package should arrive by Thursday and two more were on the way.

Two days later a controlled delivery was made to the brother’s address in Papatoetoe.

Customs officers had already removed most of the methamphetamine and replaced all but five grams with fake drugs.

A chemical marking powder was also placed on the package which meant any person who handled it would likely result in Lycopodium spots being transferred onto their clothing and skin.

Mafi came out of the house to receive the package from an undercover customs officer acting as a courier, he then signed for it.

Minutes later Vatuvei and Mafi opened the package and then about five minutes after that, a search warrant was executed.

The brothers were found in possession of the methamphetamine concealed within the package.

In Vatuvei’s room, police found digital scales, an empty bag containing white residue, a money counter, a box containing multiple empty bags, a dish containing a white powdery residue, remnants of white powder on a bed sheet, a TV on the wall showing a live feed from outside the house.

The brother’s were arrested. Their clothing and hands showed remnants of Lycopodium spores which showed up under UV light.

Picture’s of Vatuvei's hands taken under UV light showed areas of fluorescence on the palms, the underside of the fingers, and all fingertips.

These areas could have been due to the chemical marking powder placed on one of the imports.