Six years jail for drug offence

Press, 18 December 1985, Page 8

Six years jail for drug offence

PA Auckland A man the Crown called a principal lieutenant in a conspiracy to supply large amounts of heroin was yesterday sentenced to six years jail. Sentencing Chay Karan, an upholsterer, of Upper Hutt, in the High Court in Auckland, Mr Justice Sinclair said Kamn was to be a “trusted carrier of the drug from Auckland to Wellington”.

There was also a suggestion Karan would distribute the heroin in Wellington. Karan was charged with seven other men in the District Court at Auckland in August with conspiracy to supply heroin. He pleaded Sand was remanded to gh Court for sentence. His counsel, Mr Charles Gate, told the Court the key figure in the conspiracy, Wayne David Beri, was sen-

fenced to 14 years jail on the conspiracy charge and life imprisonment ’for possessing for supply heroin with a street value of at least $300,000. Ronald Terence Brown, who admitted his involvement in the conspiracy, was sentenced to seven years jail. Karan, Mr Gate said, was not as highly placed in the “enterprise” as Beri and Brown.

For the Crown, Mr Robert Fardell said, “If is the Crown’s case that Karan was one of Beri’s principal lieutenants." His Honour said Karan knew the extent of the heroin operation. It was also clear that firearms were to be carried during distribution of the drug. ; ■ Karan was sentenced to six years jail for conspiring to supply heroin.