The only man to plead guilty in connection with the country's largest-ever meth bust has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.
The 19-year-old, who has name suppression, was one of seven people arrested, after nearly half a billion dollars' worth of the class A drug was found in June.
Police seized 448 kilograms of P in the back of a campervan after an abandoned boat was found on 90 Mile Beach.
A set of coordinates found in the vehicle then led police to an area on the beach where a further 46kg was located in the sand dunes on the Hukatere region.
It's the country's biggest ever single haul of the drug and far surpasses the 334kg of meth seized in total across 2015.
The 19-year-old was smartly dressed in a tie and suit and was emotionless in the dock as his sentence was handed down in the Whangarei High Court.
The court heard when he was arrested he was in possession of a large majority of the meth that was seized by police.
Through his lawyer Arthur Fairley he told the court he wanted the judge to know how "sorry he was", and wanted to make "amends for his mistakes".
Justice John Fogarty told the court had the P flooded the market it would have led to a huge level of harm, and unleashed "untold misery" on the community.
Six others who were also arrested have pleaded not guilty in connection with the bust and are due to stand trial.
Newshub.
