Police uncovered evidence during a search at Howe’s parents house.
Howe was sentenced to 6 years and 7 months prison for the offending on Monday after pleading guilty to a total of six charges. Among the items found during the raid were an illegal firearm and ammunition, cannabis and meth.
As part of police investigations in Operation Emoji, a secret meth manufacturing operation had earlier uncovered kingpin Calebh Simpson and a plan to make 2kg of meth to sell in Auckland. Simpson was jailed in August for 12 years. Howe was described in court as Simpson’s right-hand man who had a ‘significant operational role’ in the enterprise.
