When police swooped on an east Auckland drug dealer’s home they found illegal drugs as well as more than $1 million in cash and a revolver.
They later discovered a shotgun, an AK-47 rifle and almost 1500 rounds of ammunition at his storage unit.
The search warrant at Po-Chen Chien’s Flat Bush property was executed as part of a broader investigation by the police’s National Organised Crime Group into the importation and distribution of drugs.
According to a recently released Court of Appeal document in the case, 159 grams of methamphetamine was found inside a shoebox in his bedroom, which is also where police found the just over $1m in cash.
A .22 calibre revolver was located in Chien’s motor vehicle. An East Tamaki storage unit he rented was also searched.
“Concealed in the false bottom of a crate in the storage unit was 3,850g of ephedrine, which had been imported into New Zealand by post on or around March 27, 2021,” the court document states.
“On May 19, 2021, police executed a search warrant at another address to which Mr Chien was connected.
“A crate of the same nature as that in Mr Chien’s storage unit was located at the address and contained 3,400g of ephedrine.”
Police also searched a storage unit Chien rented in Mt Eden.
It turned up 5g of methamphetamine, electronic scales and zip-lock bags, 89.8g of ephedrine, a 12‑gauge pump-action Dickinson XX3B shotgun, a loaded bolt-action Tikka T3x rifle, a loaded semi‑automatic AK-47 rifle, and 1,482 rounds of ammunition of various calibres.
Chien pleaded guilty to two charges of possession of a Class A drug for supply, possession of a Class B drug for supply, and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
He was sentenced to serve five years and two months in prison.
Chien recently appealed his sentence, arguing it was manifestly excessive, that it should have been imposed by the judge who gave the sentencing indication, and the discount allowed for his rehabilitative efforts and progress was insufficient.
He told a report writer that to fund his gambling habit he took out loans from “loan sharks” and his offending was committed under instruction and duress from them when he was unable to repay the loans.
The Court of Appeal Justices dismissed the arguments of Chien’s counsel.
They accept it would have been open to the sentencing judge to give separate discounts for remorse and rehabilitation, reflecting what appears to be genuine and successful steps taken by Chien.
“But we do not accept that a discount in the order of 35 per cent was required, on top of a five per cent discount for remorse, nor, most importantly, do we consider that the combined discount for remorse and rehabilitation resulted in the end sentence being manifestly excessive.”
The justices said they were satisfied the discounts applied by the sentencing judge provided a “meaningful and sufficient response” to Chien’s background, remorse, rehabilitation and guilty pleas.
His appeal was dismissed.
