Police are continuing to enforce the newly-enacted Gangs Act 2024 and have arrested a number of people across the country over the last 24 hours.
COUNTIES MANUKAU
Police conducting a road checkpoint on Mount Wellington Highway, Mount Wellington about 10pm last night noticed a 33-year-old man – a passenger in a vehicle – wearing a Head Hunters supporters sweatshirt. The man has no known gang links.
The sweatshirt was seized and the man was bailed to appear in Auckland District Court on 28 November.
BAY OF PLENTY
Around 5:25pm yesterday, Police in Whakatane noticed a vehicle with no front bumper on Bridge Street.
The driver, a 28-year-old Black Power member, was observed wearing a Black Power cap.
When Police approached the man when he was out of the vehicle, he had changed his cap to a plain one. However, when asked, he handed over the original cap, and was subsequently arrested.
A further two males, a 21-year-old Black Power member, and a 52-year-old with gang associations, were arrested yesterday in Eastern Bay of Plenty for displaying gang insignia.
WELLINGTON
Police arrested a patched Black Power member in Cuba Mall in Wellington around 12:45am today, who was wearing a Nomads baseball cap.
The 27-year-old is due in court on 28 November on a gang insignia charge, and also on a charge of possessing instruments for methamphetamine use.
EASTERN
Police on patrol on Southampton Street, Hastings about 11:45am yesterday saw a man walking along the footpath wearing a sweatshirt with a Mongrel Mob symbol on the back.
The 30-year-old Mongrel Mob member was arrested and the insignia seized. He was due in court today (Saturday).
CENTRAL
A 35-year-old Mongrel Mob member was seen by Police running north on High Street in Dannevirke yesterday afternoon, wearing a black and red Mongrel Mob shirt.
He is due in court in Dannevirke on 27 November.
Around 6:40pm yesterday, a woman was observed wearing gang clothing in Marton.
Police established that she had just been released from prison and was wearing the clothing she had gone in wearing. She was subsequently given a warning.
Shortly before 9am yesterday, a shoplifting report was made via Auror in New Plymouth, with the offender identifiable and wearing clothing with Black Power-related insignia.
A search warrant was subsequently obtained, and the 51-year-old man was arrested inside a store in Waitara later that afternoon. He is due in court on 27 November.
