Shane Ngakuru jailed in United States after admitting part in global FBI bust

Tuesday, 1 July 2025

Police national organised crime group director Detective Superintendent Greg Williams briefs media after 35 people were arrested across the North Island.

A Kiwi connected to the Comancheros will spend nearly five years in an American prison after he admitted his part in a global drug syndicate by distributing encrypted ANOM phones.

Shane Ngakuru, 45, the cousin of Comancheros ‘supreme leader’ Duax Ngakuru, will be deported back to New Zealand to face 70 charges here after he’s served his time in the United States.

The pair were arrested during a global crackdown dubbed Operation Trojan Shield after the encrypted communications platform developed by the FBI, ANOM, saw police arrest more than 800 people across 16 countries and seize more than 32 tonnes of drugs, firearms, luxury cars and cash.

Earlier this year, Stuff asked for an interview with Ngakuru through his lawyer, Jeremy Warren - it was declined.

Ngakuru admitted conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs with the ANOM devices.

According to the plea agreement obtained by Stuff, Ngakuru was a distributor of the devices to criminal users between October 2019 and June 2021.

Shane Ngakuru was arrested by Thai Police in 2022.

Through those devices, Ngakuru and other users facilitated the importation, exportation and distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine.

In June 2020, he discussed with other ANOM users the shipment of methamphetamine into New Zealand

ANOM devices were found in countries across the globe.

He also organised the pick-up of about $22,000 AUD in cash in Sydney and gave detailed instructions for breaking it down.

In Warren’s memorandum filed on behalf of Ngakuru for the sentencing, Warren said his client made no money from distributing the ANOM phones and only a headache from people who would ask him technical questions.

“Among the ANOM defendants, Shane Ngakuru is in many ways the least among equals. He was so technically unsophisticated that the ANOM administrators had to remotely take over his computer to fulfil the most basic of tasks,” Warren said.

He was offered 50 phones to distribute to contacts in Thailand, Australia and New Zealand.

Ngakuru was arrested in Thailand in 2022 and spent more than 20 months in a prison known as “the Bangkok Hilton”.

Operation Trojan Shield saw drugs and money seized in which 35 people were arrested and 900 charges laid.

Since 2014, Ngakuru had lived in Thailand where he opened a gym and nutrition business.

Back here in New Zealand, dozens are set to face trial in relation to the global drug sting.

One man, who was caught laundering $2.3m worth of drug money is serving a nine year jail sentence after he admitted his part in the sting.

The defendant admitted conspiring to import methamphetamine from China with the alleged leader of the syndicate.

Police found the man and the alleged leader communicated about buying boats to import the methamphetamine from China. However, the conspiracy petered out in May 2018.

The man was also part of a plan to import 1.5 tonnes of cocaine from South America, which was set to be offloaded off the coast of Tauranga.

The defendant bought a boat for $180,000 in November 2018 – a purchase allegedly funded by the leader.

Justice Graham Lang said the man acted as the ‘bank’ for the syndicate, a role that included the purchase of gold bullions.