‘Operation Fruit’ brought heroin network to end, trial jury told

Press, 21 November 1986, Page 4

‘Operation Fruit’ brought heroin network to end, trial jury told

Late on the afternoon on August 5 last year, “Operation Fruit” — the code name for a massive police campaign against a heroin network set up by Wayne David Beri — came to a successful end. Police from the drug and armed offenders’ squads surrounded Beri’s home and made several arrests, Mr Justice Williamson and a jury were told in the High Court yesterday. The prosecution is presenting the case against Mareeka Faye Barry, aged 27, on a charge of conspiring to supply heroin. The trial began on Monday. Mrs Lorraine Smith, of Auckland appears for Barry, and Mr Brent Stanaway and Miss Bridget Draper for the Crown. Inspector Graeme Stanley Cox, of Auckland, said that soon after midnight on July 24, last year, while he was keeping watch on the Camelot Motel in Papanui Road, a

Morris Marina drew up in the parking area in front of unit 23, which was occupied by Wayne David Beri.

Beri’s gold Mercedes was also parked in front of the unit. Melvin Wilkins got out of the Marina and walked towards the unit. He was greeted by Beri, and there was some comment about the weather. Beri referred to Wilkins by his nickname, Pin. At 2.07 p.m. the same day Melvin Wilkins arrived back at unit 23 in his Marina car. He spoke to Beri at the doorway and then returned to the car. He walked back to the unit carrying a small package wrapped in blue cloth.

As Wilkins got to the door, he beckoned to his car, and Barry and a girl, aged about three, with blond hair, got out and went into the unit.

About 2.47 p.m. Barry and the child returned to the car followed two minutes later by Wilkins.

Beri drove off in his Mercedes about 12 minutes later.

To Mrs Smith, Inspector Cox said that Barry was not with Wilkins when he visited the motel in the early hours. Witness was in the unit opposite 23. In a tape recording of a conversation in unit 23 between Beri and Wilkins there is reference to “18,000.” Inspector Cox said that he was in charge of a drug squad and an armed offenders’ squad which terminated “Operation Fruit” in Auckland on August 5, last year. Observations were kept on Wayne Beri’s address in Orewa. Melvin Wilkins entered about 4.57 p.m., and at 5.50 p.m. it became apparent that several persons were about to leave.

The place was surrounded. Wilkins, who was carrying a bag, was put on the ground and handcuffed.

Wayne Beri was also carrying a bag, which

dropped to his feet when he was apprehended and placed in the back of an unmarked police car. Reginald Ritchie was found in the toilet and Gael Beri was in the lounge. Wayne Beri was arrested on a charge of conspiring to supply heroin, and was later charged with possessing heroin for supply. To Mrs Smith, Inspector Cox said that a video camera was trained on Beri’s address to aid observation. Detective Senior-Ser-geant Walter Noel Hayes said that he took part in "Operation Fruit.”

He was one of the coproducers of a manual on drug identification and investigation which was approved by the United Nations Committee on Drug Abuse Control.

The bulk of heroin imported into New Zealand came from southern or south-east Asia. It came in two forms — as a white

or a pinky tan substance. The difference in colour was caused by the refining process and the white heroin was regarded as being purer. Sometimes the heroin was compressed into lumps and known as white or pink rocks, according to the colour.

A person going to a source country, such as Thailand would pay about $l2OO in United States dollars for one kilogram of white heroin, which would be about 80 per cent pure. An addict injecting say 100 milligrams of 80 per cent pure heroin, would probably die, so dealers diluted the drug with inert substances such as glucose or lactose. That process was known as cutting.

Rock heroin was usually crushed with a chemist’s mortar and pestle. Passing down the chain from the importer to the distributor to the street dealers, the heroin was

cut several times. At middle-level street dealers the heroin was cut to around 20 per cent purity or less and was packaged in plastic sachets of five or 10 gram lots.

On the street, heroin was known as snack, gear or H. The price of a 10gram bag of heroin on the street varied considerably and could range from between $7OO up to $l2OO, depending on availability. A 10-gram bag of 20 per cent heroin could be cut still further and this was a common practice.

Once the heroin was cut below 10 per cent, purity pushers were running the risk of their customers going to another supplier because of the poor quality of the gear. “I was present in the Auckland High Court on November 26, 1985, when Wayne David- Beri was sentenced on charges of possession of heroin for supply and conspiring with others to supply

heroin,” Detective Hayes said.

To Mrs Smith, Detective Hayes said he was the officer in charge of the case in Auckland. He had spoken with Beri on two occasions and’had made a detailed study of all the files on the case.

Did you form the opinion that you were dealing with a ruthless, highly intelligent man (Beri)? — Ruthless certainly, but not that intelligent because he got caught. Witness agreed that Beri surrounded himself with ruthless men who had criminal convictions. His major lieutenants and distributors had convictions for drug offending and violence.

Questioned about an interception warrant sworn by Detective Inspector Hastings, Detective Hayes agreed that Barry’s name was not on it. The people who were listed came from the length and breadth of New Zealand.