After executing 30 search warrants across the North Island, New Zealand Police’s Bay of Plenty District Commander Superintendent Tim Anderson had a clear message.

“We will find you, and we will hold you accountable for your destructive behaviour,” Superintendent Anderson said.

The warrants were carried out against the Mongrel Mob Barbarian MC East Bay chapter based in Ōpōtiki, as well as locations in Auckland, Taupō, Porirua, Wellington, and the East Coast.

“I’d also like to acknowledge and thank our organised crime detectives for their tireless work and dedication, as well as all our policing teams across the Bay of Plenty who are making arrests every day to make us all much safer,” Anderson said.

Gangs across New Zealand are responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime, including serious assaults, robberies, drug and firearms offences, and homicides.

“We will continue to relentlessly pursue criminals who prey on our communities and cause a huge amount of harm and misery in their communities with their drug dealing and violent behaviour.”

The police seized property worth $800,000, including one residential property, four vehicles, and a jet ski, drector of the Police National Organised Crime Group Detective Superintendent Greg Williams said.

“That’s $65,000 in cash, $87,000 in bank account. About $20,000 worth of jewellery at this stage,” Williams said.

The investigation took 10 months, beginning in December last year, that arose out of the reported increase in violence and ongoing issues in Ōpōtiki occurring last year.

“The investigation primarily focused on that gang’s involvement in mainly drug dealing - significant drug dealing.”

Seizures included three rifles, one pistol, six pounds of cannabis, and small amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine.

The investigation was an “all-of-police” response led by the National Organised Crime Group, supported by specialist groups and district staff.

A rollout of wrap-around services was vital to the operation, as getting people off methamphetamine was just as vital as executing these warrants.

“We also had the prevention and harm team there because it is a big aspect of what we’re trying to do in these communities,” Williams said.

“Taking out this significant gang in this town will allow the town to breathe and maybe recover.”

Throughout the operation, police said they were able to prevent a planned drive-by shooting at an Eastern Bay of Plenty marae.

The investigation prevented two homicides that were able to deal with the offenders without risking the larger operation, Williams said.

“From my travels around the BOP, the feedback from different iwi leaders and the wider community is that they’ve had enough of this type of criminal offending,” said Anderson.

The New Zealand Police will focus on Whakatāne and Tauranga, as the gang’s operations in those centres mirror those in Ōpōtiki.

“Why we’re doing the stuff around the gangs and the patches ... It really a lot of these gangsters in those communities is about fear and intimidation,” Williams said.

“They think they rule the roost. And that’s, that’s the issue.”

- SunLive