HONG KONG: A Hong Kong man involved in a $40 million drug trade from China to New Zealand has been jailed, the fourth to be sentenced after a sophisticated syndicate was busted. Last month the Herald revealed details of the intricate operation which began with the recruitment of “drug catchers” in Asia, sent specifically to Auckland to expedite the importation of crystal meth for the New Zealand drug market.
Ka Kit Yim was arrested on March 2 last year while driving his Mercedes-Benz through Auckland. Today he was sentenced at the High Court in Auckland to 11 and a half years in prison for possession of a class A drug for supply. Yim, who also goes by the name Christopher Yim, was the fourth person sentenced as part of Operation Coral, a covert surveillance sting by the Organised Crime Agency and New Zealand Customs after the discovery of nearly 40kg of meth.
As part of the operation, police found Yim had a further 1kg of methamphetamine and $1.8 million in cash hidden in his luxury sports cars and Auckland properties. Justice Geoffrey Venning said Yim, who arrived in New Zealand three years ago, was unable to provide an explanation for his lavish lifestyle, which included a Ferrari and Lamborghini, while his role was vital to the importing scheme. “The more people involved in this the more difficult it is for the authorities to apprehend those involved and locate the methamphetamine,” he told the court.
