A shipment of crystal meth about to land in Christchurch would look like a hail storm, a dealer commented as phone arrangements for the drug sale were made.
The comments were intercepted by police working on their Operation Stone investigation which targeted gangs and the distribution of methamphetamine around the South Island.
The investigation led to seven raids on December 17 at addresses around Christchurch.
The conversation was recounted in the Christchurch District Court court where 36-year-old Scott Andrew Swarbrick admitted meth dealing charges in a video-link appearance from the prison where he remains in custody.
The conversation was between Swarbrick and a drugs contact known as “Peter Rabbit” in the early hours of December 17 about bringing “28” – a reference to an ounce or 28g of methamphetamine.
The pair discussed a hail storm that had happened in Christchurch two days before, and Peter Rabbit asked if it would be “looking like that”.
Swarbrick replied that “they will be bigger and you wouldn’t want to stand on them” because you would slip and fall on the “marbles”.
The police say it is a reference to the similarity of crystal methampetamine to hail stones. Marbles is also a common term for methamphetamine rocks.
Four charges of receiving stolen property were withdrawn by the Crown prosecutor, Aja Trinder, before Swarbrick pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine for supply, offering to supply methamphetamine, conspiracy to supply methamphetamine, offering to supply cannabis, and the firearms and ammunition charges.
She said there had been a “substantial asset retrieval”, and there were forfeiture issues to be sorted out before sentencing.
The Crown summary of facts said Swarbrick was in cell phone contact with an associate on December 9, 2015, and agreed to supply his associate with a “Q” and arranged to meet him.
A “Q” is the term for a quarter of a gram of meth, and sells for about $300.
On December 12, he arranged to do “a run up north” to pick up meth, and he and his associate then made the hail storm comments.
On December 17, Swarbrick received a call and arranged to meet his associate with a “snack box kid’s meal” which refers to a small amount of meth.
He also arranged to supply an associate with a 50 of “smelly stuff” – meaning a $50 bag of cannabis.
On December 18, Swarbrick was at a motor lodge when the police raid occurred.
They found a pill bottle with several point bags of meth in it, with a street value of $4000, and a cigarette packet with 28.4g of meth in it. There was $900 cash, several cell phones, scales, a stun gun, and 5.68g of dried cannabis.
The police then executed a search warrant at a property storage facility and found four firearms – a Russian T03-17 .22 calibre rifle, a .22 calibre Savage rifle, a Miroku 12 gauge double-barrel shotgun, and a Remington 878 automaster semi-automatic shotgun, and a box of ammunition.
The Crown is seeking an order for the destruction of the methamphetamine, and the forfeiture of the cash found.
Judge Tom Gilbert remanded Swarbrick in custody to a Crown sentencing on July 20.
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