New Zealand gang member Josef Heart pleads guilty to 119 drug charges ahead of delayed trial

Josef Armani Heart, formerly known as Joe Edmonds, was a high-profile member of the Waikato Mongrel Mob who operated a drug-smuggling syndicate from Thailand until his arrest in June 2021. The arrest stemmed from Operation Trojan Shield, a joint FBI and Australian Federal Police sting that introduced criminals to the encrypted messaging app ANØM, allowing investigators to capture their communications. New Zealand police used the seized messages in Operation Equinox to link Heart with the Comancheros motorcycle gang and to trace shipments of methamphetamine, cocaine and MDMA totalling dozens of kilograms.

Heart’s activities were coordinated with Junior Heart, the commander of the Waikato chapter of the Comancheros, who oversaw distribution in New Zealand. In early October, Heart pleaded guilty to 119 drug-related charges and will be sentenced in December, while Junior Heart, convicted of 96 offences, awaits sentencing the following week.