Gang Conflict Warrant Issued In Eastern District
Detective Inspector Marty James, District Manager Criminal Investigations:
Eastern District Police have today been issued a Gang Conflict Warrant, following several incidents stemming from ongoing tensions between Mongrel Mob and Black Power.
At around 10:45pm on Tuesday night, shots were fired at houses in Wairoa associated with both gangs, and a Napier house connected to one of the gangs was targeted this morning.
We're also aware of a number of alleged gang-related incidents in Wairoa that have not been reported to us, including assaults, vehicle rammings, other damage to cars, and threatening behaviour.
A significant operation is under way across Tairāwhiti and Hawke's Bay in response to this senseless violence between the two gangs, and the Gang Conflict Warrant issued today gives us valuable additional powers to draw on.
The Gang Conflict Warrant is issued under the Criminal Activity Intervention Legislation Act and gives us special powers to search vehicles of suspected gang members, and to seize firearms, weapons and vehicles.
The violence we are seeing from these two gangs – particularly those incidents where firearms are involved - is absolutely unacceptable in our communities.
The residents of our communities have the right to be able to go about their daily lives without fearing for their safety from gang-related violence. They've had enough and so have we.
As part of our investigation into the recent offending, officers in Tairāwhiti and Hawke's Bay will be stopping vehicles with links to gang members and searching gang-related addresses.
Officers will also be maintaining a highly visible presence in our communities to provide reassurance.
We are determined to hold those responsible for the recent offending to account and gang members should be on notice that we will not tolerate this ongoing violence.
Today we arrested two men in relation to the incident in Wairoa on Tuesday night. The two men – aged 18 and 35 - have been charged with aggravated burglary and possession of offensive weapons. Further arrests are likely in the coming days.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
31-05-2025
- NZ Herald
Gang Patch Ban: 6052 charges laid, 132 patches seized, 426 gang warrants executed in six months
– Undertaken 426 searches of gang targets (Warrant: 175; Warrantless: 251) – Seized 89 firearms from gang members. - Seized 637 insignia items (including 132 patches). Police Minister Mark Mitchell praised the work, saying the legislation was working. 'Police around the country have done an outstanding job at enforcing the new gang laws,' Mitchell told the Herald. Police Minister Mark Mitchell during his walkabout with a police beat section in Wellington. 'It's proved to be an exceptional tool for police to roll over the top of gangs, and take back control of our streets. 'No longer do we see gang patches in public causing fear and intimidating law-abiding Kiwis, compliance remains high, and gang members have been sent a very clear message that police control the streets, not the gangs.' Basham, who heads police investigations agreed with his minister. 'To be fair to the gangs, we asked them to use good judgment if not, there would be consequences,' Basham said. Police conducted more than 500 meetings with gang leaders and communities prior to the legislation coming into force in late November. Police Assistant Commissioner Paul Basham. 'And for the most part they have complied with the legislation. 'There are some gang members that have been convicted and a few of those charges are being defended. 'But the convictions and prosecutions are just one measure. The success is what we are observing in communities, that that fear and intimidation from gangs has significantly reduced over the past six months. 'To me, that's the most obvious key to the success.' Black Power life member Denis O'Reilly. Photo / Paul Taylor Black Power life member Denis O'Reilly said gangs had been compliant. 'I was half expecting a big blow up but gang leadership has been intelligent enough and the police have done a great job by rallying those gang leaders to comply,' O'Reilly said. 'I was in Auckland for a Black Power league match and there was no visible gang insignia – not even T-shirts. 'Yet when they went back to their clubrooms, they were able to put on their patches.' O'Reilly said while gang friction was always in the wind, because rivals are not running into each other in town, there is less confrontation. 'Because the gangs are not annoying the public, they are not annoying each other as much,' he said. Basham said gang leaders had also been very clear to their members that losing their patches comes 'with consequences of threats of violence to fines'. The Herald has been told loss of a gang patch can cost the gang member up to $5000. Basham said of the 132 gang patches seized, police would ask the court to order the destruction of them if the owners are convicted. What gang tangi looked like before the November 21, 2024 legislation came into force. He said the extra resource given to the police meant they could react and also activate tough and clear responses to gang activity, utilising good gang intelligence. 'There are a number of other tools, like the Firearm Prohibition law, and powers that come that will make it difficult for gangs to operate,' Basham said. 'We know many of the gangs here are involved in organised gang activity. 'One hundred of the 500 extra police were earmarked for the gang units. Seventy-seven have, or will go into the district gang disruption units and 20 in the national gang unit in Wellington. 'You will see more police engagement working with gangs at gang tangi and as we observe high level of compliance, we can refocus our effort on where gangs are involved in violence, firearms and drugs. The real enemy are the cartels. Yes the gangs are involved in the distribution but where's it coming from? Lifetime Black Power member Denis O'Reilly 'Gangs are involved in a large scale in the methamphetamine distribution.' But O'Reilly says it's not solely the gangs that police should be concerned about over the drug trade. 'The real enemy are the cartels. Yes the gangs are involved in the distribution but where's it coming from? Offshore and the border controls are only now starting to see just how much unprecedented meth is coming here via the cartel. 'The real drug enemy is not within but from the outside. It's the foreign players who promise the young guys the earth, but don't explain you can only see it from 6 foot under. 'All police see is this gang mist.' Basham said the police objective was to prevent crime and if needed acts of strength, like they did in Ōpōtiki, would be utilised to support communities. Last October, officers executed 30 search warrants 'targeting identified people believed to be involved in a North Island-wide drug distribution network'. Twenty-eight people were arrested, and illegal drugs and firearms were also seized. Police were criticised by some MPs and also whānau caught up in the raids in the Bay of Plenty town for allegedly being too aggressive. Basham said police made no apologies for wanting to rid communities of violence and drugs. 'Preventing crime and harm is a major part of our focus,' he said. 'Like what has happened in Ōpōtiki, where police have come in and supported communities,' he said. 'We will continue to do that with the enforcement to help communities build resilience to drugs and crime. 'We are a modern policing service and proud how we police in 2025. We are evidence and intelligence led and this last six months and our ability to work in communities, reflects who we are and what's possible. 'We are positive about this legislation and committed.' 'If you look at the purpose of the Act and its intention on having an impact on how gangs operate and fear and intimidation, it's been successful and we have had a lot of feedback from the community and police. 'As an organisation, we want people to not only feel safe but be safe and leading up to the new legislation, we had observed behaviours around gang tangi which caused concerns across New Zealand. 'I think we have seen a significant reduction in that behaviour around those types of gatherings. 'Senior police have said to me they have not seen anything like it to what we were seeing before the legislation to what we are seeing now.' Basham said the anti-gang legislation was 'a tool among a suite of tools' police could use to make an impact on criminal behaviour. He said police also had received some intelligence that the patch ban had 'de-escalated some gang confrontations'. That included police hearing anecdotally that even gang members felt safer. 'I think some gang members themselves feel safer when they go into town to do their groceries, or drop their kids to school,' he said. 'We had a lot of engagement with gangs before this legislation was rolled out and we were clear of what was coming and wanted to be transparent. 'To their credit, many gangs have taken those conversations we had on board. 'It was clear what would happen if they breached the law.' Joseph Los'e is an award-winning journalist and joined NZME in 2022 as Kaupapa Māori Editor. Los'e was a chief reporter, news director at the Sunday News, covering crime, justice and sport. He was also editor of the NZ Truth and prior to joining NZME worked for urban Māori organisation Whānau Waipareira. Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
27-05-2025
- RNZ News
Fighter at Dan Hooker's backyard brawl event referred to police
File photo. Photo: 123RF One of the 32 fighters involved in a controversial and unregulated backyard fight contest at the weekend has been referred to the police. The man, whom Checkpoint understands to be a senior Mongrel Mob member from the Bay of Plenty, was wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet in footage of his fight released to social media and was supposed to be attending a rehabilitation programme. Over 30 fighters gathered on Saturday in an undisclosed Auckland backyard to compete for a $50,000 prize. Social media posts show the event promoted by a well known MMA fighter Dan "Hangman" Hooker. It was billed as 32 fighters going head to head in one minute scraps to be the last man standing and crowned king of the streets. All fighters were subsequently offered $1000 for competing. Checkpoint raised the issue with Corrections earlier on Tuesday. Its director of community operations David Grigg said the gang member with the electronic monitoring bracelet was granted approval to attend a rehabilitation programme by a provider approved by the courts. He says it was part of the man's bail conditions. He said Corrections received assurance the absence was for a rehabilitation activity focussed on wellness and physical health. He said since receiving new information about the nature of the gang member's absence, it has now been referred to the police. More to come Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
20-05-2025
- RNZ News
Meth gear found on man seen on CCTV taking gun out of his pants
A man was spotted pulling a gun out of his pants in Paihia's town centre early this morning. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf A gang member has been arrested in Paihia overnight after an eagle-eyed camera operator spotted him pulling something suspicious out of his pants. Senior Sergeant Mark Barratt said a CCTV operator based in Kaitāia saw a man on Paihia's main street take a gun out of his trousers just after 2am on Tuesday. Barratt said the man held it on camera for a few seconds before adjusting it and popping it back down his pants. Police sent to the location found the man nearby, and while they did not locate a gun they did find equipment for using the drug methamphetamine. Enquiries to find the alleged firearm were continuing. Barratt praised the work of the Kaitāia-based CCTV crew. "This was great work by the camera operator who as part of proactive prevention has observed this male, and we were able to locate and charge him. We will continue to act on this sort of information to keep our communities safe." Barratt said the 37-year-old patched Black Power member had been charged with unlawfully carrying a firearm and possessing utensils for methamphetamine. He was due to the appear in Kaikohe District Court on Tuesday.
