A former prison guard who worked in the adult entertainment industry has been jailed for four years for his role in a cocaine-smuggling ring involving Tauranga and Rotorua offenders and linked to a Mexican cartel.

Allison Dos Santos, 30, from Tauranga appeared in the High Court at Rotorua today for sentencing after admitting three charges - one of importing cocaine and two of possession of cocaine for supply.

Justice Graham Lang said Dos Santos was arrested when police terminated Operation Tarpon, an investigation into the importation of cocaine from South America.

Using false names, Dos Santos received two parcels from South America - one containing 310g of cocaine and the other with 300g.

On both occasions the cocaine was hidden inside equipment sent in the packages.

A search of Dos Santos’ Tauranga property revealed 11 plastic zip lock bags each containing 1g of cocaine. There was also $2000 cash and several mobile phones and sim cards.

Dos Santos pleaded guilty on February 3 - 10 days before his trial was to get under way - after Justice Graham Lang gave him a sentence indication of five years and seven months’ prison. He arrived at this from a starting point of seven years then discounting 20 per cent for his guilty plea.

Reading from Dos Santos’ cultural report prepared for sentencing, Justice Lang said he was born in Brazil and had an impoverished childhood. He tried cocaine for the first time when he was 14.

He moved to New Zealand when he was 15, where his mother and brother already lived. His mother moved to Australia not long after and his father remained in Brazil. After his mother left, he had a falling out with his brother, meaning he was left to fend for himself from age 16.

He became involved in the party scene and was a regular user of cocaine, ecstasy and LSD.

He went on to work for the Department of Corrections and was a prison officer in several prisons for two years, until recently.

His lawyer, Maria Mortimer, told Justice Lang that Dos Santos was in prison in “appalling conditions” because given he was a former guard, he was being kept in segregation for his own safety. This meant he was confined to a cell by himself and was only allowed out to walk around the yard for one hour a day.

She said in his earlier remand period, this did not happen daily. He was currently in Auckland’s Paremoremo Prison, where he used to work. She said it was difficult to find a prison where he had not worked given it was recent and many of the people who came and went from prison would remember him.

Justice Lang acknowledged Dos Santos’ prison term would be more difficult given those circumstances and awarded a discount of four months from his end sentence.

“I do place weight on the fact that you will undoubtedly face issues in prison because you were formerly a Corrections officer. In all probability you will be required to serve at least part of your sentence in a prison where you formerly worked. The prison officers know that this will lead to a danger to your safety and they have already taken it upon themselves to place you in protective segregation.”

Justice Lang said given Dos Santos would be required to stay in his cell at least 23 hours a day, it would be difficult for him to endure the isolation in the months and years to come.

Mortimer asked Justice Lang to consider other discounts including previous good character, addiction to cocaine, personal circumstances and remorse.

Justice Lange noted Dos Santos had suffered a burn injury that left his body scarred, resulting in low self esteem.

Dos Santos acknowledged he had used illegal drugs since arriving in New Zealand and for that reason Justice Lang did not offer any discounts for previous good character.

“You have been breaking the law continuously since you arrived in New Zealand.”

He could not find any evidence of remorse or insight into his offending and noted Dos Santos was of the belief he wasn’t a drug dealer. But Justice Lang said clearly he was dealing at a low level given what was found at his house and the charge he pleaded guilty to.

Justice Lang further discounted his indication of five years seven months taking into account factors raised by Mortimer, arriving at a final sentence of four years’ imprisonment.

Crown prosecutor Duncan McWilliam asked for the destruction of items found in the search of Dos Santos’ house including drug paraphernalia.

Mortimer said it had since been proved the $2000 cash was wages Dos Santos had earned from working in the adult entertainment industry and that money had been returned.

Operation Tarpon saw eight people from Tauranga and Rotorua arrested.

Aerial view of the Port of Tauranga. Photo / Mead Norton

It involved an “inside man” at Tauranga’s port, Maurice Swinton, who was to be paid $250,000 in a plot to smuggle 200kg of cocaine from a Mexican cartel into New Zealand. He was jailed for two years and nine months.

Those involved in the plot conspired to import a large quantity of cocaine and methamphetamine into New Zealand via shipping containers.

Some of those charged were also involved in importing a smaller quantity of cocaine by courier mail to sell and distribute in New Zealand.

The Rotorua Daily Post reported in March the former president of Rotorua’s Filthy Few gang, Jeffrey Gear, was also involved.

Jeffrey Gear was sentenced at the High Court in Rotorua to 11 months’ home detention. Photo / Andrew Warner

He was facing a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for methamphetamine offending linked to the drug ring but was instead handed a sentence of 11 months’ home detention because the arrest was a turning point in his life.

Gear handed in his patch and got clean from drugs and was now considered a role model and leader.