A man arrested in relation to a major investigation into alleged corruption within several prisons is accused of conspiring to import up to 700kg of methamphetamine into New Zealand from behind bars, RNZ can reveal.
By Sam Sherwood of RNZ
Police earlier revealed 20 people had been arrested following the nearly year long investigation dubbed Operation Jasper.
Court documents seen by RNZ reveal that four more people have been charged.
One of the defendants faces 12 charges including conspiring with unknown persons to import between 500 to 700kg of methamphetamine from behind bars into New Zealand. He is also charged with offering to supply methamphetamine and cocaine.
The man faces several charges of corruptly offering to bribe an official to "introduce an unauthorised item into prison", and using a mobile phone in prison.
Another man is charged with also using a mobile phone while in prison and importing 1kg of methamphetamine.
The remaining defendants' charges include corruptly offering to give a bribe to an official, and using a cellphone in prison.
All of the 24 defendants arrested as part of Operation Jasper have pleaded not guilty and have interim name suppression.
Detective Inspector Colin Parmenter, of the National Organised Crime Group, earlier said police began investigating criminal activity at the Mt Eden Corrections Facility in July 2025.
"Those arrested include Corrections officers, reintegration officers and members of the public associated to prisoners.
"Police have identified serious criminal offending, so serious that the corruption and bribery charges required the attorney-general's consent to prosecute."
Parmenter said the investigation initially focused on the activities of sentenced and remand prisoners at Mt Eden.
"We will allege that some of those prisoners were coordinating drug importations and drug-related transactions from within prison."
Corrections officers were also allegedly identified as being involved in the offending, he said.
"Several staff working in Mt Eden were allegedly involved in smuggling mobile phones, drugs, tobacco and other contraband into prison in exchange for cash," Parmenter said.
"Police believe the phones were used by prisoners to continue drug importation and distribution activities from within the Mt Eden facility."
The investigation then moved to Auckland South Correctional Facility, based in Wiri.
Parmenter said the investigation uncovered several reintegration officers, employed by Serco, "allegedly engaging in similar corrupt practices".
"It will be alleged this involved smuggling controlled drugs and tobacco for financial gain."
More than 100 charges laid
Police earlier carried out 25 search warrants across Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions, including at the Mount Eden Corrections Facility.
A cell was also searched at Spring Hill Corrections Facility in Waikato.
Those charged include nine Corrections officers from Mt Eden, one from Spring Hill, five reintegration officers from the Auckland South Corrections Facility, and five members of the public.
More than 100 charges have been laid.
"Police have worked closely with Corrections and Serco as part of this investigation, and we are all committed to rooting out corruption and preventing this criminal offending from taking place," Parmenter said.
Operation Jasper had also identified drug dealing offences allegedly carried out by prisoners, guards, and their associates.
"There has been an incredible amount of work put into this investigation to get where we are to date, but as matters are now subject to court proceedings we will be limited in providing any further comments," Parmenter said.
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