Founded | 1968 |
---|---|
Founding location | Auckland, New Zealand |
Years active | 1968–present |
Territory | New Zealand and Australia |
Criminal activities | Drug dealing, rape, theft, murder |
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 (known as the Comber Report) said they were one of the two largest of the 20 outlaw motorcycle gangs in New Zealand. [1] In the 1990s they were the largest in the country. [2] They were still the largest in 2010, [3] even though their membership numbers had declined. [4] As of 2019 they were considered one of the ten main gangs (including motorcycle gangs and ethnically based gangs) in the country. [5] Their membership is largely people of Māori and Pacific Island ethnicities. [6] Their colours are black and gold. [7]
The Highway 61 mc was formed in Auckland in 1967 [8] or 1968, [3] and have since expanded across New Zealand [9] and Australia. [10] The Highway 61 patch consists of a skeleton holding onto ape hangers (handlebars) with the road, or highway, seen below the skull.
In 1997, Highway 61 members were convicted of murdering a member of the New Zealand Nomads. [11] In 1993, Highway 61 members were convicted of theft, receiving cars valued at nearly $1,000,000. [11]
Senior ex-member Malcolm Rewa was convicted in 1998 of multiple charges of rape, [12] and later convicted of murder, and is serving a life prison sentence.
In 2003, club president Kevin Weavers was accidentally killed by ex highway 61 member Kelly Robertson, which weakened and caused a rift within the gang. [11]
At the 1979 Nelson Mardi Gras event the Lost Breed clashed with members of Highway 61 from Wellington. 4 were injured and 21 Lost Breed members and associates were arrested.
They expanded into Australia in the 1980s, [2] later setting up a chapter in Brisbane in 1998
The Bandidos Motorcycle Club, also known as the Bandido Nation, is an outlaw motorcycle club with a worldwide membership. Formed in San Leon, Texas, in 1966, the Bandidos MC is estimated to have between 2,000 and 2,500 members and 303 chapters located in 22 countries, making it the second-largest motorcycle club in the world behind the Hells Angels.
The Outlaws Motorcycle Club, incorporated as the American Outlaws Association or its acronym, A.O.A., is an outlaw motorcycle club that was formed in McCook, Illinois, in 1935. With a membership of over 5,000 members world-wide and 416 chapters in 41 countries, the Outlaws is one of the largest outlaw motorcycle clubs in the world and historic arch-rival of the Hells Angels.
Black Power is a prominent gang in New Zealand. Members are predominantly Māori and Polynesian.
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.
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. 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, which grew to rival the Mongrel Mob.
The Comanchero Motorcycle Club is an outlaw motorcycle gang in Australia and South East Asia. The Comancheros are participants in the United Motorcycle Council of NSW, which convened a conference in 2009 to address legislation aimed against the "bikie" clubs, their poor public image in the wake of several violent clashes and ongoing biker wars, and defusing deadly feuds such as the Comancheros' battles with the Hells Angels. The sincerity of these efforts to defend the battered image of the clubs has been met with skepticism.
The Breed Motorcycle Club was a one-percenter motorcycle club that was formed in Asbury Park, New Jersey in the United States in 1965. The club disbanded in 2006 after numerous prominent members were indicted on racketeering and drug trafficking charges.
The Lost Breed Motorcycle Club was an outlaw motorcycle club in Nelson, New Zealand, formed in 1976. From that time on and up until their dissolution, they were essentially the only gang in the town and repelled attempts by other gangs to set up. 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.
The Lone Legion Motorcycle Association was an outlaw motorcycle club located in Blenheim, New Zealand.
The Rebels Motorcycle Club is an outlaw motorcycle club. At its peak in Australia, it had around 70 chapters and over 1,000 members and associates nationwide, making it the largest club in the country at the time. It was founded by Clint Jacks in Brisbane, Queensland in 1969 and was originally named the "Confederates". Their insignia is a Confederate flag with a cap-wearing skull and 1% patch in the centre. The Australian government and law enforcement consider the Rebels to be a criminal organisation, but the club claims to be a group of motorcycle enthusiasts rather than gangsters.
The Warlocks Motorcycle Club, also distinguished as the Harpy Warlocks or the Philly Warlocks, is an American outlaw motorcycle club that was formed in Philadelphia in 1967. The club is most prominent in the Delaware Valley, including Philadelphia, Delaware County and South Jersey, as well as in the nearby Lehigh Valley.
Numerous police and international intelligence agencies classify the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) as a motorcycle gang and contend that members carry out widespread violent crimes, including drug dealing, trafficking in stolen goods, gunrunning, extortion, and prostitution operations. Members of the organization have continuously asserted that they are only a group of motorcycle enthusiasts who have joined to ride motorcycles together, to organize social events such as group road trips, fundraisers, parties, and motorcycle rallies, and that any crimes are the responsibility of the individuals who carried them out and not the club as a whole. Members of the club have been accused of crimes and/or convicted in many host nations.
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 Nomads Motorcycle Club is an outlaw motorcycle club in Australia with a large number of chapters and members nationwide. It was founded in Newcastle in 1968. A number of countries have motorcycle clubs called "Nomads Motorcycle Club", e.g. Australia, South Africa and Germany, and there is a Nomads gang in New Zealand.
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.
The Bacchus Motorcycle Club (BMC) is an Outlaw motorcycle club in Canada. Founded during 1972 in Albert County, New Brunswick. Bacchus MC has since increased its influence, opening fifteen chapters in five Canadian provinces. It is currently the third largest Canadian established 1% motorcycle club.