Brothers David Hau Moeakiola, Alani Povalu and Ryan Edward Brown selling ice

 

Brothers David Hau Moeakiola, Alani Povalu and Ryan Edward Brown selling ice

Hobart Ice'shed' bust leads to jail time for three people.

Ice traffickers who operated out of "the shed" in suburban Hobart have been sentenced to prison terms of several years.

Ryan Edward Brown and brothers David Hau and Alani Moeakiola were arrested by the police for selling the illegal narcotic over the social media app Snapchat.

During the period of August 2018 through June 2019, the trio admitted to trafficking in prohibited substances.

"Relatively well-organised and structured" was how Supreme Court of Tasmania judge Gregor Geason described the enterprise, which employed at least seven people, when he handed down his sentence on Friday.

For his part, Brown would receive the methylamphetamine from a "old mate" while the Moeakiola brothers would sell it.

David Moeakiola

On average, 49 persons a day went to "the shed" to get the medication after paying through a hole in the wall, according to Justice Geason.

To keep an eye on the situation, the police set up surveillance cameras and recorded screenshots of the Snapchat messages.

Each of you had a specific role to play in the company's success.

Money earned by these men is not known, however it may have reached $1.34 million if they sold the drug in tiny enough amounts to make a profit of that magnitude

"Methylamphetamine is a well-known scourge in society. There was no doubt in your minds as to what you were doing and the hazards involved "It was said by Judge Geason

A special task group was formed to conduct the police probe, he said.

Two-and-a-half years of non-parole time was imposed on each of the two brothers.

Brown, whose idiocy was admitted by Justice Geason, will spend up to four years and eight months in prison with a three-year no-parole sentence.