Abby Rae Cummins, Michael Edwin Debreceny, Kien Trung Dao, Kevin Kakada Chea were sentenced in the High Court at Wellington for their part in a methamphetamine ring based in the Chews Lane apartments.

Jail terms of 17 years and 15 years have been imposed on two men who lived an apartment "awash" with methamphetamine, in Chews Lane in the shadow of Wellington's main police station.

The "boss" Kevin Kakada Chea, 25, was sentenced to 17 years' jail, for importing at least 2kg of methamphetamine, being in possession of 1.17kg for the purpose of supply, supplying methamphetamine and receiving stolen property.

In the High Court at Wellington on Friday Kien Trung Dao, 23, was sentenced to 15 years' jail on the same charges. The judge said he was not coerced or so subservient that he should not be found in possession of virtually the same amount of methamphetamine as Chea.

Chea and Dao have to serve at least half their sentences before they can be considered for parole.

Neither Chea nor Dao gave evidence in court but, through their lawyers, each in effect blamed the other.

At their trial in June the jury heard importations in October 2013 and February 2014 were probably in the form of methamphetamine mixed with plaster and green dye, parcelled and labelled as "jade". Once received in Wellington the blocks had to be ground to a powder and chemically treated to extract the drug, it was alleged.

Chea had worked in a local supermarket, had an interest in a gym and part-owned a house.

Dao had gained a commerce degree from Victoria University and had a talent for using and fixing electronic devices. Five stolen computers they were found to have received were likely given to them in exchange for drugs.

Michael Edwin Debreceny, 49, a self-employed car repairer, was found guilty of one charge of importing for helping organise delivery of one parcel and he was sentenced to nine years and six months' jail. Justice Robert Dobson said he was "somewhat foolish" and oblivious to the consequences of what he was doing. He did not make any significant gain.

Abby Rae Cummins, 22, was found guilty of possessing 11.88g of methamphetamine for supply and sentenced to three years and six months' jail. She was Chea's girlfriend. The judge said she was getting the benefit of the doubt that she was not also in possession of the larger amount found in a flat "awash" with methamphetamine.

Chea, Dao and Cummins were living in an apartment in Chews Lane, in the shadow of Wellington's central police station. The police raid on the flat early on March 7, 2014, led to the apartment building being evacuated as a precaution because chemicals were being heated in the flat.

In the building's basement garage a car registered to Dao contained 1.138kg of methamphetamine. Dao told police the drug was not his.

About $39,000 cash was found in a cupboard in Chea's bedroom, and small amounts of methamphetamine were found in several places in the flat.

About two weeks after the first search of the Chews Lane apartment, another 11.6g of methamphetamine was found in a make-up compact Cummins wanted to retrieve with other belongings. She denied the drug was hers.

When police searched the flat part of a parcel label was found, the jury was told. The Crown said that by reconstructing events it could show that three parcels of methamphetamine had been imported undetected in July and October 2013, and February 2014, however the jury found Chea and Dao guilty of only two importations.