Egyptian Man Sentenced For Running Drug Ring From a New Zealand Prison Cell

An Egyptian man in prison in New Zealand has made global headlines after it was uncovered he was running a methamphetamine-smuggling operation from his prison cell.

Egyptian national Mohamed Soliman Hussain Atta, 42, has been sentenced another 13 years and two months after admitting to being the mastermind behind a methamphetamine drug ring. Pleading guilty to seven charges of importing and one charge of conspiracy to the supply the drug, the Egyptian national managed to operate the drug ring using multiple cell phones, including one provided by a prison guard.

It’s believed that the drug smuggling occurred over three months in 2014, and that the drugs were imported using Atta’s connections in Thailand. According to the police statement released, "Those convicted of importing methamphetamine were either patched gang members or had strong gang associations, which demonstrates gang involvement in this trade."

The investigation resulted in the sentencing of 11 people believed to be part of the gang, while three more suspects await their verdict.