Fei He says she sold a Chinese medicine mixed with herbal teas to treat stress, depression or insomnia.

A Christchurch woman has been jailed for her role at the centre of a multimillion-dollar synthetic cannabis distribution ring operating from her dairy.

Fei He, 48, appeared for sentencing in the Christchurch District Court on Thursday on charges of selling or supplying a non-approved psycho-active substance, and possession of it for supply.

Christchurch District Court Judge Stephen O'Driscoll said: "This was offending on a commercial scale. There were significant amounts of synthetic cannabis and cash involved. The offending was motivated by profit."

JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON/STUFF PHOTO: JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON/STUFF Sockburn Dairy, 144 Main South Road.

The Crown said the drugs ring had been found in May 2016 with 173kg of the synthetic drugs, with a street value of between $3 million and $4 million.

Judge O'Driscoll said: "This is the largest amount of synthetic cannabis involved in an operation to come before the court in New Zealand. Parliament recognised the harm and damage that was caused by the use of synthetic cannabis and was made illegal."

MORNING REPORT/RNZ Synthetic drugs are continuing to claim lives. Provisional figures from the coroner show that since 2017, the drug has killed between 70 and 75 people (first published in September 2019).

Fei He was sentenced to 28 months in prison, while the man described as her "lieutenant", Sui Jun Zhou, 35, was jailed for 26 months. Another man caught in the police swoop received a home detention sentence.

Fei He told the court she was a hard working solo mother, who worked 12 hours a day to support her family. "I appreciate the police giving me the chance to become famous overnight," she said through an Mandarin interpreter.

Asked if she wished to make any comment on the Crown submissions or the pre-sentence report, Fei He that her name and biographical details were correct but everything else was made up.

ALDEN WILLIAMS/STUFF Fei He has been jailed for 28 months for running a multimillion-dollar synthetic drug ring from her Sockburn Dairy on Main North Rd, Christchurch.

She repeated allegations against the police, saying they had forced her to accept products, and demanded she pay protection money, which she refused. Details were made up by the Crown, she said. Her neighbours and customers would be happy to give evidence to support her, and had come to the court. The other defendants were "not part of my team at all".

She said she had nothing to do with the 173kg of product that had been found. She had used a Chinese medicine mixed with herbal teas from the supermarket, and sold it to treat stress, depression, or insomnia.

She then began a rambling address until the judge told her she must focus on her own case and issues.

Fei Hei had pleaded guilty during the trial in June to charges of selling or supplying a non-approved psycho-active substance, and possession of it for supply.

The Crown said Fei He was the principal offender in the drug-dealing ring which centred on the Sockburn dairy she operated. She was adamant at the sentencing that she did not want a lawyer even when warned that she might face a jail term.

Judge O'Driscoll said there had been a high degree of planning and premeditation involving an organised criminal group. He did not accept that allegations had been "made up" – it was inconsistent with the facts, including the text messages.

He said the Crown had asked for the maximum sentence for Fei He, though she said her product was legitimate and pure and had no psychoactive product added to it. He said she was in denial and was minimising her offending. He also rejected her other "unfounded allegations", and her claim that her product was not a psycho-active substance.

"People don't go around in cars selling Chinese herbal products in car parks and having other clandestine meetings. They don't arm themselves with firearms either. That is consistent with drug dealing," said the judge.

Zhou admitted selling or possessing synthetic drugs and charges of unlawful possession of a taser, and a firearm and ammunition. He was regarded as being Fei He's "lieutenant".

Xiwen Miao, a 30-year-old chef, admitted charges of selling or possessing the synthetic drugs. He had assisted in the packaging of the drugs. Judge O'Driscoll imposed eight months' home detention and 250 hours of community work.