Last week, 34-year-old Xavier Valent was sentenced to life in prison for importing drugs into New Zealand.
It is only the third time someone has received a life sentence in this country for meth-related charges – but Valent was not your ordinary drug dealer.
His six-week-long trial revealed details of the major global drug syndicate he sat at the head of, with dozens of ‘minions’ working for him as he travelled the world living a life of luxury.
NZ Herald crime reporter George Block was the only media present in court for the whole trial and sat through all the sordid details of Valent’s offending. He joins Damien to discuss the crimes committed by a man described as a modern-day Mr Asia.
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You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.
Host: Damien Venuto
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