The court heard the now 27-year-old was part of a criminal syndicate that also involved his mother.
The group imported several packages containing methamphetamine and cocaine into New Zealand between February 2021 to February 2022.
The joint investigation between New Zealand Police and New Zealand Customs Service, known as Operation Bali, seized a quantity of meth hidden in a picture of the Virgin Mary and another stash discovered in a steel plate compactor.
The court heard other packages, addressed to the syndicate members, were also hidden inside a wooden table, a metal cog and a sausage grill. The packages contained a total of 28kg of methamphetamine and 5kg of cocaine.
“You had a leading role in the syndicate,” Justice Helen McQueen told Galicia Romero.
She said he was responsible for 3.5kg of the total class A drugs dealt with by the syndicate which was concealed inside six packages, along with $63,000 cash that was found at his home.
He was on home detention for other serious drug offending at the time.
Galicia Romero’s lawyer Janine Bonifant sought discounts for his difficult upbringing, his addiction to cocaine and alcohol, the impact of jail on both him and his young son and well as his remorse.
The court heard Galicia Romero arrived in New Zealand from Colombia as part of the refugee family reunification programme in 2013, joining family members who’d settled here two years earlier. His partner arrived in 2019, and his son was born in 2021.
A report prepared for the sentencing described how as a child Galicia Romero was encouraged by his immediate family to participate in crime and “lived in the context of crime, violence and the message that only through illegal activities can people succeed to overcome poverty”.
Another report writer concluded Galicia Romero was at high risk of reoffending given his ongoing offending since arriving in New Zealand.
In an affidavit, Galicia Romero’s partner said she was on a work visa and therefore wasn’t eligible for social welfare. She also had no family support to care for their young son. She feared Galicia Romero would be deported at the end of his sentence, but said she was in danger if she returned to Colombia.
Crown prosecutor Rachel Buckman said some credit was needed for Galicia Romero’s personal circumstances but this needed to be balanced against the seriousness of the offending. The Crown didn’t seek a minimum term of imprisonment.
Justice McQueen said she was satisfied his background contributed to his offending and affected his judgment.
“However, your offending is serious, and it is also apparent and accepted by you that you were motivated by financial gain.”
In a letter to the court, Galicia Romero expressed deep remorse for his actions. He said at the time of the offending he was misguided but had since grown and changed.
Galicia Romero said his primary goal was to provide a better life for his wife and child, through honest and lawful means.
Justice McQueen said she accepted his remorse was genuine.
“Nonetheless you have earlier convictions for class A drug offending and it was a very short time before you became involved in the present offending, and you told the PAC [pre-sentence] report writer that you became involved while on home detention.”
Justice McQueen imposed an end sentence of six years and nine months’ imprisonment, taking into account Galicia Romero’s guilty plea and his personal circumstances.
Catherine Hutton is an Open Justice reporter, based in Wellington. She has worked as a journalist for 20 years, including at the Waikato Times and RNZ. Most recently she was working as a media adviser at the Ministry of Justice.