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Trio jailed after Hobart ice 'shed' bust

Ethan James
Three men busted selling ice from a suburban Hobart property have been jailed.
Three men busted selling ice from a suburban Hobart property have been jailed. Credit: AAP

Three men who ran a million-dollar ice trafficking operation from a property known as "the shed" in suburban Hobart have been given multi-year jail terms.

Brothers David Hau Moeakiola and Alani Povalu Moeakiola, and Ryan Edward Brown were busted by police selling the illegal drug via social media application Snapchat.

The trio all pleaded guilty to trafficking in a controlled substance between August 2018 and June 2019.

In sentencing on Friday, Supreme Court of Tasmania judge Gregor Geason described the business, which involved at least seven people, as "relatively well-organised and structured".

Brown would obtain the methylamphetamine from a supplier known as "old mate", while the Moeakiola brothers were tasked with selling.

Justice Geason said 49 people on average would visit "the shed" per day and obtain the drug after putting money through a hole in the wall.

Police set up cameras to monitor the property and also took images of the Snapchat posts.

"The business ... relied on each of you fulfilling a role," Justice Geason said.

The amount of money made by the men is not known but could have been as high as $1.34 million if the drug was sold in small enough quantities.

"The scourge of methylamphetamine is well-known. All of you knew what you were doing and you understood the risks," Justice Geason said.

The police investigation, in which a special taskforce was set up, took up considerable public resources, he added.

The two brothers were each sentenced to five years' jail with a non-parole period of three-and-a-half years.

Brown, who Justice Geason noted had acknowledged the stupidity of his actions, will spend up to four years and eight months behind bars with a non-parole period of three years.