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There are numerous gangs in New Zealand, of varying criminality, organisation and ethnicity, including outlaw motorcycle gangs, street gangs and ethnically based gangs. A chapter of the Hells Angels motorcycle club was formed in Auckland in 1961, the first Hells Angels chapter outside the US. [1] Soon after, the Mongrel Mob formed in Hastings and Wellington, developing into a predominantly Māori and Pacific Islander gang, and having the largest membership in the country. Through the 1960s and 1970s, other outlaw motorcycle clubs and ethnically based gangs formed, including another predominantly Māori gang, Black Power (not related to the African-American movement), which grew to rival the Mongrel Mob.
The New Zealand Police have distinguished between "New Zealand gangs" with predominantly Māori and Pacific Islander membership, outlaw motorcycle gangs and local street gangs. [2]
New Zealand has had youth and street gangs since the 1950s, according to sociologist Jarrod Gilbert. [3] By the 1970s, established gangs included Black Power, Mongrel Mob, Head Hunters and Barbarian Stormtroopers. Some had friends in high places, with Prime Minister Robert Muldoon partying at a Black Power pad in 1976 and Mayor of Wellington Michael Fowler stumping bail for seven of them after an altercation with the Mongrel Mob. [4] Organised crime gangs such as those that currently dominate in New Zealand mostly date from the 1970s. The Police named the three most prominent "New Zealand gangs" as Black Power, the Mongrel Mob, and the Nomads, as of 2007. [2] Examples of local street gangs in 2007 were the Junior Don Kings (JDK) and Dope Money Sex (DMS) of Auckland. [5]
'Gangsta' style gangs have been a presence in New Zealand since the early 1990s but individual gangs of this type are typically short lived. [2] New Zealand gangs have generally been heavily influenced by their American counterparts and have remained a significant social problem since 1990. Although Black Power takes its name from the black liberation movement of the same name, in many ways it and similar gangs are much more akin to white American motorcycle gangs such as the Hell's Angels. Since the early 1990s newer gangs have primarily been influenced by African American street gangs such as the Crips and Bloods. [3]
In December 2019, Stuff reported that returning New Zealand deportees from Australia had established local chapters of the Comanchero and Mongols biker gangs in New Zealand. Many of these gang members had been deported under Section 501 of the Australian Migration Act 1958, which has accelerated the deportation of criminal non-residents from Australia since 2015 [6]
Some political leaders including the-then Māori Party co-leader Pita Sharples have called for gang patches to be made illegal. [7] [8] [9] In 2009 the Wanganui District Council voted to ban gang patches, but it was overturned following a judicial review instigated by the Hells Angels. [10] The council tried again in 2011, this time restricting the ban to just the central business district, malls and parks. [11] A law banning gang patches from government and public buildings was introduced in 2012 by National Party Member of Parliament (MP) Todd McClay. [12] Police welcomed the law, [13] but critics such as Mana Movement MP Hone Harawira claimed it was racist against Māori. [14] It was passed as the Prohibition of Gang Insignia in Government Premises Act 2013, and has been in force since August 2013. [15]
In February 2024, The Sixth National Government of New Zealand comprising the National Party, ACT Party and New Zealand First announced plans to ban Gang patches in public. [16] [17] [18]
Gang members account for a rapidly increasing proportion of incarcerations in New Zealand. A New Zealand Ministry of Justice study showed that in 1991 just under 80% of prison inmates had no gang history, and just over 90% had no current gang membership. Of the prison population, 4% were members of the Mongrel Mob and 4.3% former members, while 3.6% were current and 3.2% former members of Black Power. No other gang had more than one percent of the prison population. [19] A similar study in 2003 showed that 11.3% of prison inmates were gang members. Of these, 35% were Mongrel Mob and 33% Black Power, with no other individual gang having more than 5% of the imprisoned gang population. [20] As of April 2013, gang members and affiliates account for over 30% of inmates, with over 10% of New Zealand prisoners being Mongrel Mob members. [21]
According to the 2007 book Gangs by English journalist Ross Kemp, New Zealand had more gangs per head than any other country in the world, [22] with about seventy major gangs and over 4,000 patched members [1] in a population of 4 million people. In 2019 the Police recorded 6,500 patched or prospective gang members in the country, with the ten main gangs being the Head Hunters, Bandidos, Hells Angels, King Cobras, Black Power, Mongrel Mob, Tribesmen, Rebels, Devils Henchmen and Highway 61. [23]
In October 2019, Stuff reported that New Zealand gangs seemed to be recruiting members at a greater rate than the New Zealand Police. Between October 2017 and October 2019, the number of patched gang members and "prospects" had risen by 1,400 to an estimated total of 6,375. By comparison, the number of Police officers during that same period had increased by only 893. Stuff attributed the increase in gang membership to the return of deported "bikie gang" members from Australia, who had been deported under recent Australian anti-bikie gang legislation. In addition, the Mongrel Mob started a female chapter. [24]
By June 2021, there were 8,061 patched gang members on the Police Gang List, a 4,000 increase from 2016. [25] By November 2022, the number of gang members on the Gang Harm Insight Centre's Gang List had risen to 8,357; the highest number ever recorded in New Zealand history. While National Party police spokesperson Mark Mitchell claimed that the Labour Government's alleged "soft on crime" policies had contributed to a 56% increase in gang membership since 2017, Police Minister Chris Hipkins responded that the Police Gang List included people who had left the gangs or who were associates rather than formal gang members. [26]
Black Power was formed about 1970 in Wellington as the Black Bulls, [27] and its membership is primarily Māori and Pasifika. It has been involved with various kinds of crime, particularly drug dealing. Its symbol is the clenched fist of the American black power movement, and their colours are blue and black.
In 1977 the Nomads split from Black Power. [28]
The Head Hunters motorcycle club is one of the fastest growing motorcycle clubs in the country. It has chapters in West Auckland, Wellsford, Northland and most recently Wellington and Christchurch after patching over the Epitaph Riders. [29] Its beginning is said to go back to 1967 and has been historically tied to West Auckland although it maintains a presence in Ellerslie through a senior member. [30] [31] In 2011 members of the Sinn Fein motorcycle club in Wellington have patched over to become part of the Head Hunters motorcycle club. [32]
The King Cobras are a Central Auckland-based gang [33] with its origins born out of the Polynesian Panthers in the early 1970s whose ranks are predominantly Pacific Islanders [34] but not exclusive of others. Their reputed turf is reported to stretch from the Downtown area to Māngere Papatoetoe and Manurewa. [35] The Cobras also have links and associations with activity in the far north Moerewa Whangārei and North Shore, [36] and an established presence in the Hutt Valley and the Wellington area. [37] The gang is also known to have a presence in Christchurch. [38]
In 2009 it was reported that members of the gang had been involved in a multimillion-dollar methamphetamine drug ring organised within Paremoremo Prison, and previously ran another large drug ring along with the Head Hunters. [39] The Cobras maintained a headquarters in Ponsonby up until August 2011 as they are reported to be shifting premises. [33] [40]
In 2012, the notorious worldwide Motorcycle Club known as the Bandidos set up in South Auckland [41] and later established a second chapter in Christchurch. [42] The Bandidos have gone on to establish prospect chapters in Dunedin and Invercargill. [43] [44]
The Hells Angels motorcycle club founded a chapter in Auckland in 1961 and has since taken over gangs in Whanganui. New Zealand had the first chapter of the Hells Angels outside the US. [1]
In 2011 the club made headlines when it tried to register a lottery. [45] It made headlines again in late 2015 when it shutdown Nelson's long-standing Lost Breed MC to stamp its mark on the city. [46]
The Highway 61 motorcycle club was founded in 1968 and was the largest outlaw motorcycle club in New Zealand during the 1980s, 90s up until 2010. [47] It has chapters in Auckland, Hastings, Rotorua, Northland, Wellington and Christchurch, and by 2008 had expanded into Brisbane, Sydney and the Gold Coast in eastern Australia. [48] They are mainly European and Māori in descent.[ citation needed ]
The Mongrel Mob was formed and organised in Hastings and Wellington in the early 1960s. Originally consisting of Pākehā youth, it became primarily Māori and Pacific Islander, like its Black Power rivals. The gang has been active in organised crime and has been involved in several murders. Its symbol is a bulldog wearing a German Stahlhelm helmet, and the gang makes use of other Nazi imagery. Their colours are red and black. The Mongrel Mob is currently the largest gang in New Zealand. [49]
In 2010 members of the Australian motorcycle club the Rebels announced they would be establishing a presence in New Zealand in 2011. Rebels MC members have been sighted wearing their patches in various places throughout the North Island in early 2011. [50]
The Road Knights motorcycle club operates in the South Island. [51] They are based in Invercargill, Timaru and Dunedin. [52]
At the beginning of 2014, members of the Canadian motorcycle club the Rock Machine established a Nomad chapter in New Zealand. In August of the same year they publicly announced they had established a second chapter in Christchurch. [53]
The Tribesmen is a prominently Māori motorcycle club formed in the 1980s in Ōtara, they have a presence in South Auckland and as far south as Rotorua [54] and Murupara. [55] The Tribesmen are also rivals with the Mongrel Mob. [56]
The Tribesmen have a feeder youth street gang called Killer Beez (sometimes Killer Bees, Killabeez, or KBZ), [57] possibly a reference to the hip hop group Killa Beez, a name given to Wu-Tang Clan affiliates who also wear yellow and black. [58] Killer Beez was headed by Josh Masters, [59] formerly a vice-president of the Tribesmen gang. Masters was one of 44 people from both gangs arrested in a police swoop in May 2008. In total, 60 Killer Beez members were arrested in an operation [60] that involved 110,000 intercepted messages. [61] Charges included supplying methamphetamine, conspiracy to supply methamphetamine and money laundering. Masters pleaded guilty but as of October 2011 was fighting to have that overturned. [62] [63]
In 2011 Vila Lemanu was the most senior Killer Beez member not in prison, he was on the run for several months [64] before having his conviction quashed by the Court of Appeal and a new trial ordered. [65]
The Killer Beez controlled the record label Colourway Records [66] until all its assets were seized in 2008. [67]
The Red Devils Motorcycle Club has a presence in Mount Eden along with strong ties to the Hells Angels.[ citation needed ] In 2012 the club was involved in a high-profile anti-drug operation which later fell apart under heavy scrutiny in court. A range of charges laid against twenty one club members and associates were stayed, and later dropped altogether, in the belief that police had committed a "gross abuse of process" in posing as court officials to obtain a fake arrest warrant. The case against the club was officially dropped in early 2015 with the final charges dismissed on 1 July. Police now believe that the Nelson chapter has become a full-fledged prospect chapter of the Hells Angels. [68] [69] [70] [71]
Street/youth gangs
Black Power is a prominent gang in New Zealand. Members are predominantly Māori and Pacific.
The Mongrel Mob is an organised street gang and prison gang based in New Zealand. With a network of more than thirty chapters throughout the country and additional operations in Australia and Canada, the Mob is the largest gang in New Zealand. They are especially active in the King Country, Kawerau, Ōpōtiki, Waikato and Hastings. The Mongrel Mob's main rival is the Black Power gang; there have been several very public and violent clashes between the two gangs over the years.
The Mongols Motorcycle Club, also known as the Mongol Brotherhood or Mongol Nation, is an international outlaw motorcycle club. Originally formed in Montebello, California, in 1969, the club is headquartered in Southern California. Although the Mongols' main presence lies in California, they also have chapters nationwide in 14 states and internationally in 11 countries. Law enforcement officials estimate approximately 2,000 "full-patched" members are in the club. The Mongols are the fifth-largest outlaw biker club in the world, after the Hells Angels, the Bandidos, the Outlaws and the Pagans.
Sidney Diamond, previously known by the stage name Young Sid, is a New Zealand rapper.
A gang patch in New Zealand refers to the identifying insignia of a street gang. Patches have been linked to intimidation of members of the public by gang members. Gang patches perform much the same identification role as gang colours do in other countries.
The Lost Breed Motorcycle Club was an outlaw motorcycle club in Nelson, New Zealand, formed in 1976. The club announced that they were strongly opposed to the drug P (Meth) and domestic violence although police consider these claims to be dubious.
The Road Knights Motorcycle Club is an outlaw motorcycle club that operates in the South Island of New Zealand with a presence in Invercargill, Dunedin, and Timaru. Since 2012, new chapters have been formed in Thailand, Netherlands and the United States.
Mark Patrick Mitchell is a New Zealand politician, former police officer and security contractor, and a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives since 2011. He is a member of the National Party.
The Killer Beez are a large street gang based in New Zealand, mainly based in the South Auckland area. They were founded in 2003, as a large rogue street gang in Ōtara, as a spin-off of the larger "Tribesmen" gang. The Killer Beez were formerly headed by Josh Masters, a well-known kickboxer, also a former vice-president of the Tribesmen MC.
The King Cobras are a prominent Pacific gang in New Zealand.
The Head Hunters Motorcycle Club are an outlaw motorcycle club in New Zealand. They are found all around the North Island, but are mainly based in East Auckland, with its headquarters being located in Ellerslie. They also have chapters in West Auckland, Wellsford, Northland and Wellington. They have a long criminal history, with more than 1000 notable criminal convictions.
The Coffin Cheaters are an international outlaw motorcycle club that was formed in Perth, Western Australia, in 1970. The Perth-based Coffin Cheaters amalgamated in 1999 with a previously unrelated club in Victoria called Coffin Cheaters, and later "patched over" two Norwegian gangs, Forbidden Few MC and Wizard MC, in 2004 and 2005 respectively. The Coffin Cheaters were the first Australian gang to expand internationally.
The Highway 61 Motorcycle Club is an outlaw motorcycle club based in New Zealand and also operating in Australia. The Committee on Gangs report of 1981 said they were one of the two largest of the 20 outlaw motorcycle gangs in New Zealand. In the 1990s they were the largest in the country. They were still the largest in 2010, even though their membership numbers had declined. As of 2019 they were considered one of the ten main gangs in the country. Their membership is largely people of Māori and Pacific Island ethnicities. Their colours are black and gold.
The Tribesmen are a prominent outlaw motorcycle club based in the North Island of New Zealand. They have a relatively large presence, having set up chapters in Ōtara, Northland, Rotorua, Murupara and Christchurch.
Simeon Peter Brown is a New Zealand politician and Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the National Party.
Ingrid Marieke Leary is a New Zealand politician. In 2020 she was elected as a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the Labour Party.
Imagine the Hells Angels running a housie night? No, nor could the Department of Internal Affairs
A Rotorua man was jailed for more than seven years today for his role in the armed robbery of a bar two years ago.
The Tribesmen have been weakened by successful police operations targeting the drug dealing of the gang and feeder gang the Killer Beez.
Publicity has surrounded the Killer Beez (KB), an affiliated criminal youth gang. Originally formed in Otara in 2003 to provide recruits to the Tribesmen gang, the KB identifying colours are yellow and black.
But in 2008 police smashed both gangs wide open with a six-month cannabis and methamphetamine sting operation that arrested 60 Killer Beez members and put many of the gang's leaders in jail.
Police intercepted more than 110,000 phone and text messages between the Killer Beez and Tribesmen gang members during a major three-month drug operation in South Auckland and the Waikato.
Constable Louis Solia of Otara police said Lemanu was probably the most senior Killer Beez member on the street and warned he should not be approached.
In August, the Court of Appeal quashed Shadrock's murder conviction and ordered a re-trial which is due to take place at the High Court in Auckland next June.
I ask members to consider a gang called the Killer Beez. It has its own hip-hop record label called Colourway Records. What does it do? It makes music videos—recruitment advertisements for gangs, thinly disguised as music videos, that are played on mainstream
During the operation, police seized $200,000 in cash, 538g of pure methamphetamine with a street value of more than $500,000, nearly 400g of cannabis, 15 vehicles under the Proceeds of Crimes Act, 12 firearms and all the assets from the business premises of Colourway Records in Otara.